DRE Vol 1 Side Stories
by Hayaki
Summary: A collection of side stories based off of Vol. 1 of Dimensional Ruler's Etude where our beloved Dimensional Rule is turned into a side character that barely shows up! Follow eccentric groups, unlikely pairs, and lone wolves as they unknowingly, or knowingly, affect the main story line with their actions. Get ready for yuri, get ready for yaoi. and get ready for anything to happen!
1. SS 1 (Eidolon Side)

**AN:** Surprise upload of a new/not really new series! That' right, it's a DRE Vol. 1 spinoff focusing on the underbelly of the Grigori, or more specifically a group of battle maidens that take on top secret missions. Don't worry, DRE Vol. 1, Vol. 0, and Vol. 2 are still in the works and I'll update Vol. 1 as soon as I'm done with finals. Other than that, please enjoy this new adventure.

* * *

 **SS 1 (Eidolon Side): Move out, Eidolon!**

"Aaaahhh..."

A tanned woman, standing around seven feet tall with crimson scales covering the majority of her legs, back and forearms, sighed as her long, scaly tail swishes behind her, ablaze with a red-hot fire.

"So boorrreeed! How much longer are we gonna hafta wait? I wanna fight something already!" She complained to her companions.

"You know we aren't supposed to make a move if the boss isn't here, firebutt, so be patient."

It was a fairly average looking Japanese schoolgirl that answered the Salamander-morph. Her full height reached around five feet five inches and she had long, raven-black hair that reached to her hips. If it wasn't for the constant, momentary formation of ice crystals around her body it would have been easy to mistake this Yuki-onna as just another human.

"U-u-um... you don't think something could've happened to her, d-do you..?"

The timid voice that raised its concern originated from a six feet tall girl with only white bandages covering her unmentionables. Her most prominent features were her almost F-cup breasts that threatened to spill out of the frail bindings. The rest of her body was littered with stitches and scars than runs from head to toe while her face was mostly covered by her long, violet bangs.

"Jeez, speak up a little, would'ya? You're a fucking indestructible giant so what the fuck're you afraid of?"

The final girl who was busy tapping away at her smartphone finally looked up and spoke. Her appearance was that of an elementary school girl, but her attitude held all the elegance of a sailor. She was dressed in a gothic lolita style as a black umbrella lay propped up against a tree next to her.

"Tch, I don't like it. Rei is never late. It doesn't make sense for her to be late this time," the Salamander girl growled as she performed a couple of practice swings with her wicked-looking curved sword.

At that moment, a rustle sounded from a nearby brush that made all four of the girls jump and turn towards the source, ready for battle.

The Salamander hefted her blade, the Yuuki-onna conjured multiple icicles from the air, the Zombie girl raised her fists and stepped in to the very front of the group, and finally the Vampire girl drew a brown card from a holder strapped to her arm.

All of a sudden, a silhouette burst out of the bushes, covered in twigs and leaves, gasping for a breath. The figure was clearly female, and the group relaxed once they saw the distinctive long, flowing, white hair the figure had.

"Rei, about time you showed up!" The Salamander girl said with a heavy sigh. "Jeez. I almost took off your head right there."

"Ahaha! Sorry, sorry!" The new arrival apologized sheepishly as she stood up to her full height. "I kinda ran into car troubles on the way here so I had to run the rest of the way."

"C-Car troubles?! Onee-sama, are you hurt?! Don't tell me you got into an accident?!" The Vampire girl exclaimed as she hurriedly began fussing over Rei, trying to find any injuries.

"W-Woah! Hey! I'm fine so there's no need to check me, Elizabeth!"

As Rei struggled to pluck the fawning Vampire off of her, the Salamander moved to help and grabbed Elizabeth by the collar of her dress before hauling her into the air.

"Awright, that's enough, Liz. We don't need your crazy bipolar lovin' right now. We have a job to do."

"Phew, thanks, Karma," Rei thanked the Salamander as she brushed off the remainder of foliage off of her hair. "Alright, to business. Lets go over the mission one more time, shall we?"

""Right!""

The four monster girls immediately lined up before Rei and saluted.

"Alright, our mission today is infiltrate into a suspected witch's stronghold and retrieve the Necronomicon that has been stolen from the Academy. It is safe to assume that the witch has already managed to break the seal placed upon the grimoire and has already begun some of the rituals written in it. As this is the case, Hasu, you'll be taking point as usual."

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" The Zombie girl answered affirmatively.

"Next, Yukiko, you'll be using your magic to clear a way through anything that might try to stop us."

"Roger, can do," the Yuki-onna said with a nod.

"Elizabeth, I want you to summon Beowulf to help protect Yukiko in case any enemies get past Hasu."

"Yes, Onee-sama!" Elizabeth answered while pulling out a card and placing it on the ground. A bright light emanated from it before a towering werewolf appeared from it.

"Finally, Karma. You and I will be heading off the rear if the vanguard needs support, then one of us will move to support. Other than that, we'll be watching the back for any attacks."

"Tch, I was hopin' to be at the front, but I guess this'll do..."

"Remember everyone, we'll be going into a witch's lair with minimal intel. The fact that she managed to break into the Academy's vault and successfully steal a relic from it should show that she's extremely powerful. Don't let your guard down and always move to support each other if needed!"

""Right!""

Rei smiled and nodded before drawing the rapier strapped to her side.

"Let the operation begin!"

Immediately, the group fell into formation and began breaking through the forest towards their target; a simple looking wooden cottage.

With Hasu in the lead, the trees stood no chance as she barrelled through them with her body, uprooting them and sometimes completely smashing them to pieces. The rest of the group followed closely behind her as a thin layer of ice projected by Yukiko protected them from any splinters that flew their way.

It wasn't very long before the first traps began activating. Explosions broke the otherwise calm and quiet night, and tree branches sharpened and tried to spear the five intruders. Through it all, Hasu continued sprinting forward with reckless abandon, shrugging off the many traps that sprang to life as if they were nothing but particles of dust.

Once the group finally broke through into the clearing that contained the singular cottage, they were looking none the worse for wear. They continued moving across the clearing and stopped at the entrance of the cottage.

Hasu looked back at Rei who gave a nod of approval before kicking the door in and stepping inside. The rest of the group quickly followed her inside and wasn't surprised to find that the interior of the cottage didn't match the exterior at all. After all, in many cases where they had to eliminate these powerful witches, the witch would be able to create a Workshop to perform their magic. In this case, the inside of the cottage had been turned into a dungeon of sorts. Instead of the logs that made up the walls of the cabin, they were surrounded by cold cobblestone on all sides with the only illumination being wisps of fire lining the walls. The ceiling was high above them, but the walls were rather close. If they stood shoulder by shoulder, only three of them could fit in the hallway at a time, Rei estimated.

"My, my, it seems a group of insects have wandered into my home."

The group jumped as they heard a disembodied voice come from all around them.

"Welcome to my humble abode. My name is Milk, its a pleasure to meet you all," the voice continued to say. "I'm afraid I am fairly busy right now so I won't be able to attend to you personally. However, I'm sure my servants would be more than happy to show you the way out."

On command, a sea of blue flames burst forward in front of the group. When the wisps died down there was a seemingly unending army of undead creatures crowding the hallway.

"Tch," Karma frowned and clicked her tongue as she stared down the mass of bodies. "She's tryin' to buy time."

"Then we shall simply plough through them!" Elizabeth retorted.

The group exploded in movement with one fluid motion. As with before, Hasu charged through the wall of flesh, either trampling the shambling corpses underneath her or flinging them into the fair for Yukiko or Elizabeth to pick off with their magic. Occasionally a swarm of enemies would appear behind the group but they were swiftly destroyed by Rei and Karma.

However, it was like both the corpses and the hallway had no end to them.

"This is getting nowhere," Rei complained with a grunt as she stabbed through a particularly mutilated corpse of a dog.

"It's like we're just going around in circles," Yukiko pointed out as she froze a group of headless skeletons for Hasu to bash through.

"Circles..." Rei mumbled before suddenly snapping her fingers as she came to a conclusion.. "That's it! A witch's Workshop only follows the will of its creator. If the creator is powerful enough, they can even change the very laws the world operates on. In this situation she must have created a looping space. However, if it was indeed a complete loop, the witch would have no way of entering and exiting her Workshop. That means..."

The charismatic leader pirouetted and kicked a femur bone away that had come flying at her before turning to face Hasu.

"Hasu! Start breaking down all the walls!" Rei ordered the Zombie girl. "Karma, take over Hasu's place!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

"Awright!"

Even though Hasu was clearly reaching the limits of her endurance, she happily complied and began busting down the cobblestone walls as the others covered her. The destruction continued for the better part of an hour and the rest of the group was gradually approaching their limits as well. However, they had made no progress at all in finding where the witch had hidden.

"Shit! How much magic does this bitch have?!" Karma cried out in frustration as she cut down another swathe of enemies with a single swing of her curved blade.

"I-Indeed," Elizabeth added in between heavy breathes as she used her summoned beast to steady herself. "We have already come back to the point where we began breaking walls and yet we haven't found the witch yet."

"Hau... N-No more..." Hasu whined as she sluggishly knocked away a cluster of undead foxes clinging onto her.

"At this rate, we will use up all our energy fighting these minions..." Yukiko finished with a grim look on her face.

Rei chewed on her lip as she tried to think of a way out of this mess. They had already smashed down all the walls, leaving them standing on a seemingly floating platform with a roof over their heads.

"Wait, that's it! Yukiko, concentrate fire on the roof! Use everything you have to bring it down!"

Upon hearing the order, the ice maiden immediately redirected her attacks towards the stone roof using balls of ice to try to break it apart.

"Ah! I see something!"

Everybody looked up at the hole Yukiko made at her announcement and all saw the same thing. Instead of the same, dark abyss that surrounded them, the hole seemed to lead to a room of sorts.

"Alright everybody, let's go!" Rei commanded.

Karma grabbed the staggering Hasu and leapt through the hole with a single powerful jump. The summoned werewolf did the same with Elizabeth and followed after the two while Yukiko flew up with her magic. Finally, Rei leapt upwards and made it through, landing next to her comrades.

Standing in front of the group to greet them stood a stereotypical witch with a pointy hat, robes, and a beautiful visage paired with a curvy body. Almost all witches were narcissistic and cared immensely for their looks so they use potions and spells to maintain them. Not to mention it helps them whenever they need to collect a male's life essence for their spells.

"My, my, it seems our uninvited guests have managed to make it all the way to my Workshop," the witch said sultrily. "However, you're too late. The ritual is complete and you will be the first to be sacrificed!"

From out of the shadows, a lumbering form crawled forward and slowly made its way into the light. The abomination was met with a variety of reactions from the group when it became fully visible.

Calling it a creature would be a disservice to the horror it presented. It was an amalgamation of hundreds of rotting corpses shambling and moaning in a twisted sort of harmony. All together it formed a vaguely human shape with a central torso with stubby legs and long arms that it used to support itself.

" _ **We-are-LegIon-comE-join-Us..."**_

"How grotesque," Elizabeth commented while covering her nose. "Is this abomination really a result of one of the rituals in that book?"

Rei shrugged and readied her rapier. "Only the cursed ones that opened the book know the contents and they always end up dead so nobody can know for sure."

"Hmph, whatever, let's just kill these two already! I've been waiting all night for this."

Roaring, an aura of fire appeared around Karma's body as she charged at the monster.

"Wait, Karma! Don't go charging off on your own!" Rei shouted after the salamander girl before turning to the others. "Hasu, you stay back and protect Yukiko and Elizabeth as they attack with magic. Karma, Beowulf and I will take over from here!"

"R-Roger!"

Still looking exhausted, the zombie girl picked herself up off the ground and stood at the ready in front of the two spellcasters.

The leader then ran into the fray where Karma was recklessly hacking away at the limbs of the monster.

"Bloody Rondo!" The vampire girl shouted the spell as she made a small cut on her index finger.

Elizabeth's werewolf summon howled as blood poured forth from her wound and enveloped the beast, transforming its fur and its color from a matted midnight black into a spiky crimson red. It bounded forward and leapt onto the torso of the monster, its fur spearing into the flesh as it began tearing away at its prey with its claws and teeth.

Meanwhile, Yukiko had frozen the floor and caused ice to form around Legion's legs to immobilize as she continuously peppered it with icicles.

Although, even under the combined attacks of the group the monster didn't seem like it getting weaker. In fact each time one of them did any form of damage to it, it would simply regenerate the corpses that were lost from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Hah!" The witch scoffed as she leaned against her cauldron with a confident smirk. "It's useless. You're all nothing but insects under Legion. After all, you can't destroy something that's immortal. That's like saying you can kill a god."

Rei smiled at those words as she dodged under one of Legion's flailing arms.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm known as the God Killer then," she said as she backed away from the monstrosity. "Now that I've gathered enough information, I can finally devise a plan to kill this thing."

"Wh-What?!" The witch reeled in shock after the silver-haired beauty's announcement before regaining her composure. "Hah! You're just bluffing, aren't you?"

Ignoring the witch, Rei went on to deliver new orders to her subordinates.

"Everyone, focus your attacks at one point in the torso! Drill straight through and don't let up!"

""Roger!""

With practiced fluidity, the team members moved to carry out their new orders. Karm adopted a firm stance right in front of the abomination and began hacking away at the flesh, Elizabeth ordered her summon to support the salamander girl as she used the blood enhanced werewolf to shoot spikes into Legion, Yukiko diverted the majority of the ice used for attacking into bonds that also locked the monster's arms and finally Hasu used her body to deflect any of the magic attacks that the witch now began throwing frantically.

During all this, Rei had sheathed her blade and was now waiting patiently for the right moment to strike.

"Everything has a weakness," she stated. "There exists no such magic in the world that would render something completely invincible. All golems have a core that needs to be destroyed to stop its functions. This one is no different."

In almost no time at all her comrades had dug a hole straight through the mass of flesh, bearing its singular, pulsing heart to the world.

"Devour: Absolute Predation!"

As Rei stretched out her arm, a black mass of matter enveloped it and transformed into a giant snake head that sped towards the center of the monstrosity. Its jaws opened and snapped shut on top of the core of the monster before tearing it out.

The amalgamation known as Legion wailed collectively as the corpses immediately began to collapse into a pile now that the source of its strength had disappeared.

"I-Impossible!" The witch cried in fear as she scrambled to try to get away. "It was supposed to be immortal! The core was supposed to be indestructible! How?! How did you kill it?!"

Rei smiled pleasantly as she confidently strode up to the panicking witch.

"Have you ever heard of Sacred Gears?" She asked.

"S-Sacred Gear... Y-You mean... Just now..."

"Ding, ding, ding! Correct! I own the Sacred Gear known as Absolute Predator. Its name says it all. It's a Sacred Gear that can devour anything and everything. Non-organic and organic, animals and oxygen, and gods and atoms. As long as it has a physical presence in the world, I can devour it and assimilate it."

The witch screamed in fear after hearing and this and proceeded to hurl hexes at the slowly advancing woman. Undaunted, she continued walking while slowly drawing her rapier as Hasu used her body to defend Rei's.

" _ **We are the executioners,"**_ she began chanting as the blade of her jewelled rapier began glowing with a faint, white light. _**"We are the defenders of humanity.**_ _ **With blade in hand**_ _ **, we shall deliver swift justice to the evils of the night."**_

With a flourish, Rei pulled back her arm and prepared to stab through the witch, aiming for her heart.

" _ **Judgement has come."**_

In a flash, Rei had dashed forward and speared the witch through with her weapon.

" _ **Verdict: Execution."**_

The woman breathed a sigh of relief as the body of the witch burst into flames and burned down into a white ash.

"Witch Hunt complete. Good work everyone!" Rei exclaimed cheerfully as she sheathed her rapier and turned back towards her comrades.

"Heh. Nothin' to it," Karma said with a smirk. "These chumps never stand a chance against you, boss."

"Yes, but... I'm exhausted from that gauntlet of monsters..." Yukiko complained with a small sigh as created an ice chair before flopping down onto it.

"Things could have turned really bad if Rei-san wasn't here," Hasu mumbled as she crashed face down onto the floor.

"That's right! Our success is all due to Onee-sama's tactical genius!" Elizabeth finished happily as she clung to the silver-haired woman.

Chuckling to herself, Rei quickly dislodged the Vampire and shook her head.

"That's not true. It's because of everyone's efforts here that we make it through each mission. Karma's berserker-like nature makes it easy for us to cleave through enemies, Yukiko's ice magic is both an incredibly useful ranged attack as well as support, Hasu's indestructibility protects us all from attacks and finally, Elizabeth's summoning magic and blood magic make an extremely versatile combo."

Standing in front of the exhausted group triumphantly, Rei placed a hand over her heart and spoke.

"That's what makes us an unstoppable team," she said. "That's what makes us Eidolon."

"Chief..."

"Rei..."

"Rei-san..."

"Rei-sama..."

Suddenly, all at once the girls bursted out laughing.

"H-Hey, wait! Why are you all laughing?!" Rei cried indignantly as her face flushed red.

"Well, hey, you know..." Karma said in between giggles.

"That was a bit cheesy, don't you think?" Yukiko finished for her.

"I-I think it was wonderful!" Hasu added uncertainly.

"That's what makes you special, Rei-sama," Elizabeth finished happily.

Rei simply stared at the girls incredulously before she began laughing along as well.

Eidolon, the name of the specialized squad of elites that Rei herself created. She had travelled the world and handpicked her allies from various locations. They made for the strongest team not because of their strength, but because of their cohesion as a unit.

* * *

 **-Database-**

 **Name:** Rei Lumin  
 **Age:** 23  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Absolute Predator – A Sacred Gear that allows the user to control an extension of themselves in order to devour and assimilate any existence in the universe.

-Further information is restricted to authorized personnel

 **Name:** Karma  
 **Age:** Approximately 25  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Salamander Birth – Possessing the blood of a salamander, a lizard with powerful flame abilities that resides in volcanoes, it strengthens Karma's resilience to heat while also allowing her to breathe fire. Her scales are highly resistant to damage and her muscles are stronger than ordinary humans.

 **Name:** Yukiko Himeragi  
 **Age:** 17  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Strongest Yuuki-onna – Much like other Yuuki-onna, she possesses the ability to control and form ice at will. However, she has the strongest powers of a Yuuki-onna her age ever recorded in history, making it somewhat hard to control for her.

 **Name:** Hasu Kirsche  
 **Age;** 19  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** No Longer Human – Due to extensive body modifications and necromancy, Hasu has been transformed into a psuedo-immortal. He body is extremely resistant to all forms of damage and she will not die even if her heart is pierced or her head is severed making her nearly invincible.

 **Name:** Elizabeth Bathory  
 **Age:** 256  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Bloody Vampire – Being a full-fledged vampire gives Elizabeth all the abilities and demerits other vampires have with a focus on familiars, but being a direct descendant of Elizabeth Bathory also gives her the ability to control blood.


	2. SS 2 (Eidolon Side)

**AN:** Next installment of DRE: SS is here with another mission with Eidolon. This time, it's a forever summer resort retreat with the two older women of the group. It's been fun writing these side stories so I hope everyone has as much fun as I did when reading them. Thanks to everyone for your continued support!

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 **SS 2 (Eidolon Side): SumaPara, Heat Up!**

An unlikely pair of women is basking in the shade of an umbrella on top of a pair of beach chairs near the sea. One of the women was built like an athlete, muscles rippling and visible under her tanned skin. She was clad in a three-piece red trikini that left very little to the imagination while her wild red hair lay splayed out underneath her. The other woman could have easily passed off as an international runway model. Her body was slender but filled out in all the right places and her skin was milky smooth. She was dressed in a two-piece black bikini that exuded an air of maturity as a pair of aviators covered her face. Her silver hair was done up into a tight side ponytail that lay next to her. Needless to say, these two drew stares from both the men and women relaxing on the resort island beach.

Now, to any random passerby, these two would look like the very epitome of accomplished, wealthy women vacationing on a sunny, tropical island, but in reality these two were here for work.

That's right. These two women were none other than Rei Lumin and Karma. Of course, Karma had a disguising charm cast on her so her Salamander traits wouldn't show.

A few days ago, Rei had received a mission from Azazel, the leader of the Grigori, to investigate an underground slave auction that is supposed to take place on this popular resort. The catch was that apparently the leader of the ring possessed a very powerful Sacred Gear which made the mission fairly dangerous.

Unfortunately, due to the location of the mission, the other members couldn't come with them. Yukiko, being a Yuuki-Onna, was extremely sensitive to heat and would probably have a stroke in a tropical climate. Hasu's body is covered in scars and stitches. It would be strange for her to be wearing clothes that cover her entire body and she could hardly wear the bandages she normally wears in public. Lastly, although Elizabeth could mitigate some of the sun's rays with her veil and umbrella, she would bake under the heat from refusing to wear anything else except for her Gothic-Lolita style outfits. That just left Rei, who was a normal human, and Karma, who could easily resist the heat from a volcano, to go.

"So… Is there any reason why we're laying around here instead of finding that slaver?" Karma asked with irritation and impatience clearly showing in her tone.

Rei, who was gently sipping on a tropical cocktail, put the empty glass down on the table next to her where one of the resort workers instantly took it away and brought a new one.

"There's no rush, Karma. Azazel's intel says it isn't due until tonight, so let's just take this time to enjoy ourselves. It's not every day that we can come to an expensive island retreat like this," she answered calmly as she went back to lounging on her chair.

The Salamander-morph frowned at her bosses' answer but didn't reply back. She trusted in Rei's judgement over anybody else's. After all, Rei's success in missions even before Eidolon was formed was one hundred percent.

Sighing, Karma lay back in her own chair and enjoyed the feeling of the sun's rays hitting against her skin. Maybe it wasn't so bad to relax like this once in a while.

Unknown to herself, Karma began to drift off into sleep.

* * *

Cold. There was a familiar, cold feeling around Karma's neck. No. Not just her neck, but her wrists and ankles as well.

Her eyes shot open as she suddenly realised what they were.

Restraints. She was chained to a wall, still dressed in her beach attire. The charm was still active so her scales and tail were still hidden from plain sight.

She saw Rei chained next to her, still unconscious.

Immediately she felt rage began to bubble up inside of her. How could she have been so careless?! How could she have let themselves be captured so easily?! So was a failure of a subordinate, much less a failure of a friend!

Gritting her teeth, the Salamander-morph mustered up all her strength to try to break free of the bonds, but to no avail. Not even her monster-like strength could break the chains.

A disoriented groan from next to her drew her attention.

"Chief!" She called out, hoping the silver-haired woman would respond.

"Mm… What, Karma? Don't be so loud… My head's killing me…" Rei groaned as she shook her head to try to clear it of the cobwebs clouding it. "Damn… those drinks were loaded with sleeping agents…"

"Huh?"

Rei's comment had caught Karma off guard. The tanned woman stared at Rei owlishly. Did Rei..?

Seeing Karma's look, Rei smirked and tutted.

"Did you really think I'd be lazing around the resort with no purpose? The perp always seems to target young, attractive females that go the resort, and yet, he's somehow been getting away with it. The only way he could abduct people consistently without worry is if he was one of the resort staff. You see, if he used the guise of assisting drunk, passed out vacationers back to their rooms then he could easily kidnap them."

Karma just blinked in disbelief. In the time where Rei was lazing about, no, proba3bly when she saw the mission details she managed to figure out the kidnapper's method. The Salamander-morph grinned toothily and chuckled.

"That's our boss. Now, how're we gonna get out of these?" Karma asked.

"I don't know," Rei replied instantly with a straight face.

Silence.

"Eeeeehhhhh?!"

Rei shrugged, or at least she did the best she could with her arms shackled above her.

"I didn't think that far," she said nonchalantly.

Karma was at a lost at how calm Rei was in this situation. Somehow, these restraints were so strong that even Karma's strength couldn't break it. How could Rei manage to break out, then?

Suddenly, a strangely creepy, deep voice that was trying to sound feminine came from outside the cell the two heroines were locked in.

"Oh my~, it seems my little tadpoles have woken up, hmmmm~?"

When Karma turned to face the source of the voice, she had to immediately suppress the urge to just start laughing which resulted in a little "pfft" escaping her lips.

What stood outside the cell was a short… man dressed in complete drag as two muscle-bound men in black suits stood towering next to him. It wouldn't have been a problem if the man's attempt at crossdressing was halfway decent, but he looked like a complete mess. So much makeup was caked over his face that he almost resembled a circus clown, and not the fun kind, the scary kind. Strands of curly body hair protruded out of the frilly, pink, so-tight-it-could-probably-cut-off-circulation ballet dress. The entire ensemble was completed by a pair of purple stiletto high-heels with about six inch heels strapped to his tubby feet.

All in all… the man looked terrible.

"Mmhmhmhm~. We really got some good ones here~. Right, men~?"

"Yes, ma'am, Celinara, ma'am!" The two bodyguards replied in perfect sync.

Karma was still having so much trouble keeping a straight face the travelling troupe of freaks stood in front of her that she had to turn her head to the side and close her eyes. Although, closing her eyes just made the image of the short man appear in her head so it really didn't help much.

Meanwhile, Rei simply had a pleasant smile on her face as she stared the trio down. Karma really admired how Rei could keep so calm even in situations like these.

"Good evening, madam. Are you the one that kidnapped us, perchance?"

"Kidnapped?!" The man… woman… thing recoiled in shock at Rei's question. "Why, how could you say such an awful thing such as kidnapped? I am simply guiding lost little caterpillars like you onto the proper path in life!"

Although Rei's lips were still smiling, her eyes were not as she stared down the drag queen.

"So abducting attractive women from a beach resort and selling them as slaves isn't kidnapping? I'm sure the authorities would be more than happy to teach you otherwise."

"Oh dear, dear~. You misunderstand my intentions! I am not selling them as slaves I am selling them as wonderful entertainers! After all, beautiful little capybaras like you should be shining on a stage!"

This man was clearly delusional, as if his state of dress wasn't of any indication already.

"Well, let's hear your excuses in court, Mr. Patrick Kaver, possessor of the Fabricated Mirror Sacred Gear."

The man froze as soon as those words left Rei's mouth.

"How… How do you know that name..? How do you know about my ability..?"

"Once a famous stage actor, you disappeared after a scandal surfaced about you trying to sneak into the changing rooms of famous female models dressed in drag. Except you didn't actually disappear. You most likely discovered your ability to change your appearance into others and used that to hide in plain sight. Am I right?"

Karma could only stare in awe at the level of detail Rei knew about the kidnapper. None of those details had been on the mission report Azazel handed them, and yet, Rei had somewhere deduced who the true culprit was all on her own.

The sound of metal clanging against stone echoed across the holding chambers as the restraints holding Rei to the wall fell to the ground. In her hands and toes were bobby pins which she discarded to the side.

Karma gasped in realization at what Rei had been doing the entire time. When she had woken up, Rei still had her ponytail up, but somewhere during their conversation her hair had been let down. She must have secretly picked the locks to the restraints as she kept their captive busy.

"Wh-What?! How did you get free?! Who are you?!" The drag queen shouted in panic before running to hide behind his bodyguards. "G-Get her!"

Grunting, the two men moved in perfect synchronization as they pried the bars to the prison open as if they were made of tin foil and stepped into the cell.

"My, my, two big burly men against one fragile woman? How unmanly. Are you compensating for something with those muscles of yours?" Rei taunted with beckoning finger.

Although they didn't voice it, the taunt seemed to have worked on the two giants when they simultaneously charged at Rei.

Jumping gracefully into the air, the silver-haired woman did a flawless gymnastics vault off the top of the men's heads that would've have earned a perfect score from the Russian and Chinese judges. The bodyguards stumbled at the sudden manoeuvre before they both crashed into the wall of the cell and ended up in a tangle of muscles and limbs.

Rei flew straight and true as she delivered a flying kick to the face the drag queen which sent him careening into the wall where he smashed into it and instantly fell unconscious.

Landing lightly on her feet, the silver-haired woman began stretching out her arms and legs before turning around to walk back to the stunned Karma who had managed to free herself using the bobby pins Rei threw away earlier. Having an invisible tail really had its perks in situations like these.

The entire exchange couldn't have taken more than a couple of seconds which solidified Karma's idolisation of Rei in her mind.

"Well, Karma, do you mind go looking for the other captured girls? I'm sure they can't be far from here," Rei asked.

Recovering instantly, the Salamander-morph nodded.

"Of course, boss! I'm on it!"

Wanting to be useful to her superior, Karma dashed off down the hallway, leaving Rei standing amidst the unconscious bodies of three strange men.

Smiling, Rei took out a small earpiece from god knows here she hid it and put it in her ear.

"Azazel, it's done," she reported.

" _Oh, good job, Rei. You never cease to impress me, eh? Alright. I'm sending in a team to retrieve the target now. Come on home."_

"Actually, Azazel, I'd like an extension to my… vacation. Would that be alright?"

" _An extension? But…"_

Before the leader of the Grigori could voice his complaints, Rei quickly interjected.

"Also, if it's not too much trouble, can you send the others over too?"

" _Huh? But-"_

"You'll know what'll happen if you don't, right?"

" _Ugh… A-Alright…_ " There was a slight pause and then a defeated sigh. _"I just can't say no to you, can I?"_

Rei let out an uncharacteristically girly giggle at the Fallen Angel's comment.

"Well, as your ex of course I'd do everything I can to blackmail you, darling."

" _Hahaha! Alright, alright. I just can't win against you, huh? Go on. Enjoy your vacation with the other girls. You deserve it. I'll see you in a few days."_

Smiling triumphantly, Rei removed the earpiece and threw it to the side before waiting for Karma to report back.

The fact of the matter was that Rei lied about the others not being able to come due to physical incababilities. Everything that happened on this "vacation" trip was more or less effectively planned out by the woman. Being alone was too risky, no matter how good Rei was, and being in a group of five people wouldn't make for an effective target for kidnapping. Coming with Karma was the best idea. Out of everyone in Eidolon, Karma had the best ability to get out of a pinch with a near one hundred percent success rate. If things went south, then Rei could count on Karma to step in and clean up the mess. This was the level of trust Rei had in her subordinates.

Today… was another job well done.

* * *

 **Omake: The Berserker**

"Oryaaaa!"

A fierce war cry sounded out across the arena as an eight foot tall minotaur was sent flying off his hooves before landing on the cracked ground with a defeated grunt.

All around me the crowd began to cheer as the minotaur was hauled out of the ring. The announcer was spouting the same shit as usual. Something about me being an undefeated champion.

Tch. That's it? For such a big guy he didn't put up much of a fight.

Hefting my curved sword onto my shoulder, I stood while impatiently waiting for the next challenger to show up.

When the hell is there going to be someone that can actually stand up to me? I've fought in this damn place for nearly ten years and not a single opponent could give me a run for my money.

Looking up, I saw just in time as one of the audience jumped down from the seats and landed in the ring.

A woman? She was dressed in a black suit with her silver hair tied into a tight ponytail. Her physique was pretty normal, but the one thing that did stand out was her eyes. Pale blue eyes that almost looked silver, stared at me with unwavering confidence that made my blood boil.

For some reason...

I want to fight.

I want to fight this woman.

Heh. This'll be interesting.

"I saw your fight just now," the woman said. "Honestly, I'm impressed at your strength. Would you give me the honour of a duel?"

I bared my teeth in a grin at her offer.

"'Course. Just don't start crying once I beat the shit outta you, rich girl."

She chuckled at my taunt before reaching to her hip and grabbing an imaginary handle. An ivory white ornate handle with a hand guard materialized first, and then a thin blade made of the same material followed after it as she drew the weapon from an invisible sheath.

I couldn't help but scoff at her choice of weapon.

"You think that twig is gonna hurt me? My scales'll snap that thing in two in an instant," I said, thumping my fist against a cluster of red scales that protected my sides. If anything, I had confidence in my Salamander blood.

The woman smiled and went into a fencing stance.

"Strength isn't the only way to win battles."

This is it. This feeling burning up inside of me. This is the reason I exist. Fighting is the only thing I'll ever know, so why not enjoy it? Hopefully, this one won't disappoint me.

"W-W-W-Wait! Stop! You can't just jump in here! You have to register first so the audience can place their bets!"

Tch. Damn announcer.

"Outta my way!" I shouted as I used my tail to bat the idiot off stage.

There were a few surprised gasps from the audience, but I didn't care about them. All I want is a good fight against the woman in front of me.

Once I got close enough, I brought my sword down. In response the silver woman dodged to the side and kicked at me, but her foot harmlessly bounced off my scales.

"Heh. Is that it? You'll have to do a lot better than that!"

I brought my sword around and swung again when she was recovering.

Instead of looking panicked, the woman continued to grin with confidence as if she knew she was going to win. It wasn't the cocky, condescending look I got from most of the challengers. They respected me as a fighter, but more importantly the respected me as a person.

Hahaha... The hell's this? Why do I get the feeling that this is the person I was waiting for? It almost feels like... that she'll be the one to finally free me from my cage.

This is it.

For once in my life... I'm having fun!

My blade smashed into the ground, splitting it and creating cracks with the force of the shockwave. Quickly dislodging it, I whirled around and swung behind me at the woman who had circled around me.

By now, this woman was the only opponent that lasted this long against me. I could feel my body burning up, hotter and hotter! I was destroying the whole ring now, but that didn't matter. My attacks grew sloppier, but I didn't care. I let loose and just did what my instincts told me.

One particularly heavy swing left me off balance for a few seconds, but that was all the opening the woman needed. Like a wolf, she pounced on me, knocked me over, and pinned me to the ground.

My breath came in short gasps as I realized just how hard I was pushing myself. Meanwhile, the woman looked like she hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Hehehe… Hahahahahahaha!"

Before I could stop it, laughter bubbled up my throat and escaped my lips.

"Ahahahahaha!"

What the hell is this? I-I can't stop laughing.

"Ehehehehahaha!"

It's just… so much… fun!

After I had finally calmed down, I stared up at the woman sitting on top of me. Contrary to her weight, I felt lighter than I ever felt before.

She smiled down at me. Gentle, warm, kind: That's what I felt from her.

"Well? What now? You've beaten the champion," I said with a smirk.

"Hm…" The woman put a finger to her chin and pretended to think for a moment. "I think I'll be taking my prize now."

"Prize, huh? I get the feeling you ain't talking about money."

"Nope."

With that pleasant smile on her face, she raised her weapon into the air above her. I thought I caught just a hint of a glow before she stabbed it down towards my head. I didn't flinch as it narrowly missed my neck and instead hit the slave collar wrapped around it.

Trust. That's what I was feeling. Even if I only just met her, I trusted this woman with my life. Now that my head's a bit clearer now, I can see that every one of her attacks during the fight held an unwavering conviction behind them. The same sort of conviction I see in her eyes.

I reached my hand towards my neck and felt around for the cold metal of my restraint. All I managed to touch was some kind of white powder.

"I want you," the woman said, standing up and holding her hand out for me. "I've seen the way you fight. I've seen the look of loneliness in you. That's why I've decided to free you from this cage."

I grabbed her hand and she hauled me up to my feet. She was a lot stronger than she looked.

"Oh? Well, just give me a quick second and I'll take it up with my… manager."

But first…

Taking a deep breath, I turned to the crowd and roared.

"Oi! If you value your lives, I'll give you all ten seconds to get the hell out!"

They didn't need any more incentive than that to get them moving. Almost all at once, the stupid aristocrats screamed, got out of their seats and began running towards the exits like a bunch of terrified ants.

Now to find that bastard that enslaved me…

Walking to the edge of the arena, I kicked open the doors that lead into the prep rooms. It really didn't take very long for me to find the fat bastard. He was hiding under his desk, shaking like a leaf in a tornado. I smashed the television screen he uses to watch the matches before throwing his desk across the room.

"You're comin' with me, you little shit."

Grabbing him by the collar, I dragged him back through the corridors and out into the arena where I threw him face first into the ground.

"Eeeek! D-Don't kill me! Please!" The pig begged as he grovelled at my feet.

Ignoring him for now, I turned to the woman.

"Well, this is the guy you want, right? Someone like you… isn't here just for freeing poor slaves like me, right?" I asked her.

Her smile grew wider as she nodded.

"Powerful and observant. That's right. My original goal here was to eliminate this den."

"Well, what do you wanna do with him?" I asked, pointing to the bastard in question.

"Whatever you want to do. You should have to right for deciding what happens to him."

That so…

I stared down at the man as he continued to beg for his life. I gave him a sharp kick to his gut to get him to shut up.

As much as I hate this bastard for forcing to do this every single day of my life, killing him would be too easy. He has to suffer for everything he did to me, for every second he spent tormenting me.

"Throw him in some kind of prison or something, force him to work, and torture him."

The pig's face paled more than I thought it could. Good. It's a good thing that he's terrified.

"Very well. A splendid answer," the woman said. "Oh, come to think of it, we don't even know each other's names yet. I am Rei. Rei Lumin. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Name, huh?

"Sorry, Rei, but I don't got a name."

She frowned at that.

"That's no good. You're going to need a name if we're going to be working together in the future… Let's see… Name… Name…"

As she took her time trying to think up a name for me, I enjoyed my time by digging my clawed feet into the pig under me.

"Ah! I know!" Rei suddenly exclaimed as she hit her hand with her fist. "How about Karma?"

"Karma?" I parroted.

"Yes, Karma. You see, when I asked you what you wanted to do with the slaver, it was also a test. I wanted to see if you were capable of making your own choices by judging the consequences. You deemed that you wouldn't be as satisfied if you just killed him right here, so you offered to lock him into some kind of penitentiary instead. Cause and effect, essentially, and thus, Karma."

I see… Karma, huh? This woman is one piece of work. She managed to figure me out that easily?

"Karma…" I rolled the name around in my mouth, testing it out.

Yeah… I like it.

"Heh. Alright, Rei. Or maybe I should be calling you boss now."

Rei smiled at me and shook her head.

"You may call me whatever you like. Now, shall we get going? I have an inkling that you'd like to get out of here as soon as you can, Karma."

I smirked while kicking the pig's head in before picking him up and slinging him onto my shoulder.

"You got that right, boss."

Following her, I ascended to the steps out of the dark, dreary fighting den and into the light of my new life.

* * *

 **-Database-**

 **Name:** Rei Lumin  
 **Age:** 23  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Absolute Predator – A Sacred Gear that allows the user to control an extension of themselves in order to devour and assimilate any existence in the universe.

-Further information is restricted to authorized personnel

 **Name:** Karma  
 **Age:** Approximately 25  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Salamander morph – Possessing the blood of a salamander, a lizard with powerful flame abilities that resides in volcanoes, it strengthens Karma's resilience to heat while also allowing her to breathe fire. Her scales are highly resistant to damage and her muscles are stronger than ordinary humans.

 **Name:** Yukiko Himeragi  
 **Age:** 17  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Yuuki-onna – Much like other Yuuki-onna, she possesses the ability to control and form ice at will. However, she has the strongest powers of a Yuuki-onna her age ever recorded in history, making it somewhat hard to control for her.

 **Name:** Hasu Kirsche  
 **Age;** 19  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** No Longer Human – Due to extensive body modifications and necromancy, Hasu has been transformed into a psuedo-immortal. He body is extremely resistant to all forms of damage and she will not die even if her heart is pierced or her head is severed making her nearly invincible.

 **Name:** Elizabeth Bathory  
 **Age:** 256  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Bloody Vampire – Being a full-fledged vampire gives Elizabeth all the abilities and demerits other vampires have with a focus on familiars, but being a direct descendant of Elizabeth Bathory also gives her the ability to control blood.


	3. SS 3 (Eidolon Side)

**AN:** Double upload! The next chapter of DRE SS will feature our fearless leader of Eidolon and a not-so-pure-white-Ice-Princess. Just a warning, but this chapter is a lot less lighthearted and will contain some pretty heavy stuff like: Child abuse, rape, etc.

* * *

 **SS 3 (Eidolon Side): Chilly Yukihime**

"A surveillance mission?"

Rei quirked an eyebrow as she read the report in her hands.

"Yeah," Karma replied with a nod. "Azazel said that it was really important or something. Something to do with Sacred Gears."

The silver-haired woman couldn't help but sigh at Karma's explanation. It was a good thing that Azazel had the sense to hand Karma the documents detailing the mission instead of telling her about it.

"Alright. I got it."

Putting the papers down onto the desk, Rei drank the rest of her coffee before standing up from the couch. All around her, her subordinates who were minding their own business turned to pay attention to her. Yukiko, who was grooming her nails, put down the file and gave Rei her full attention. Hasu, who was sound asleep, woke up with a mewl and rubbed at her eyes before turning to face Rei. Finally, Elizabeth, who was studying a spell book, slammed the book shut and eagerly stared at Rei, awaiting her captain's orders.

Clearing her throat, Rei began to address her comrades.

"From what I've read, this'll be a simple matter. The surveillance target is a teenage girl by the name of Hyoudou Saya. She attends Kuoh Academy's high school division as a second-year and is thought to possess a powerful Sacred Gear. We are to observe her movements and try to discern what it is. If our readings are correct, then we are to retrieve her for safekeeping."

Rei paused in her explanation to see if the others were following along. Seeing that they were, she continued to speak.

"Yuki, it'll just be me and you on this mission. Everyone else is to remain on standby."

The ice girl nodded in acknowledgement while the others didn't seem quite as happy to be told to wait.

"Good," Rei said with a clap of her hands. "You're all dismissed. Yukiko, meet me in my room one hour from now."

Moving quickly and with purpose, Rei left Eidolon's meeting room and began walking back to her private quarters. Her mind was a whirl as she began thinking up of a plan of attack for this particular mission. The scouts reported that the girl was homosexual so seducing her would probably be the best course of action. Then again, Yukiko, the only one that can pass off as a high school student, wasn't exactly the best at human interaction. Of course, Yukiko's powers were also a problem. Because of her powerful she was, she had a constant cold aura surrounding her body unless a certain ritual is performed beforehand.

The hour had passed quickly and before Rei had known it, she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in," she said, as she finished with the final preparations. The otherwise normal room was darkened with only candles providing the light. A few incense sticks were lit and sat on the end table, washing the room with a calming smell. Beside the bed was bowl of water with a hot towel on top of it as well as a bottle of massage oil next it.

The door opened and Yukiko stepped into the room, the blush adorning her pale face was easy to see even with the dim lighting. Taking a deep breath, the girl then began to undress herself. Her sailor uniform dropped to the ground with light thuds as she stood nervously at the doorway in her undergarments, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

Smiling, Rei took Yukiko by the hand and led her to the bed. The Yuuki-onna's skin was freezing to the touch, but Rei didn't mind. Sitting the younger girl down, Rei took the hot towel and began gently rubbing it on Yukiko's body. If the towel wasn't magically enchanted, it likely would have frozen at the touch.

Yukiko flinched at the sudden change in temperature. Being a Yuuki-onna, she had a natural aversion to heat, but she knew that she had to bear with it if she wanted to be useful to Rei.

After Rei had rubbed Yukiko's body down with the towel, she began to apply the massage oil onto her body. Rei's hands skilfully played across Yukiko's skin, eliciting small moans from the younger girl. Her fingers stopped and pressed at certain pressure points all while kneading and caressing the girl's tender flesh.

Under Rei's skilful ministrations, Yukiko's ice cold aura began to dissipate as her body began heating up instead.

"Hah... hah... R-Rei... I... I-I'm..!"

That was the signal.

The silver-haired woman immediately stopped and retracted her hands as Yukiko sat panting in front of her. This was a fairly primitive technique to suppress Yukiko's ice powers that Rei had found after some research. By raising her body's state into peak arousal, her body naturally heats up along with it. The only problem with the technique is that Yukiko loses all control over her ice abilities, leaving her essentially as powerless as a normal human.

"How are you feeling?" Rei asked, placing a hand on Yukiko's head.

"I'm fine," the Yuuki-onna answered back with a flushed smile. "Thank you for asking, Rei."

The older woman smiled back and gently patted Yukiko's back.

"Alright. It'd be for the best if we left now. I'll brief you on the mission as we travel," she said while standing up from the bed. "I'll be waiting at the transportation circle. Come meet me when you're ready."

After delivering her orders, Rei strode out of the room, leaving Yukiko behind to get dressed again.

"Rei..."

The ice spirit could still feel phantom fingers tracing and kneading her flesh. Unconsciously, she hugged her body to try to preserve the feelings.

* * *

The doors of the train slid open and a pair of girls stepped out of the car simultaneously onto the sunlit platform. Yukiko and Rei had just arrived at Kuoh where their observation target lived. Rei, with beauty on par with top models, had donned her usual outfit of a black suit with matching pants and tie with a pair of sunglasses while Yukiko was dressed in the standard Kuoh high school division's female uniform. Other than a slight flush on the girl's skin, it would've been impossible to tell that she was anything other than human.

"Do you need me to run over the mission details again, Yuki?" Rei asked as they began to make their way to the school nearby.

The Yuuki-onna shook her head.

"No. I must simply try to seduce the target and then ask the questions you outlined earlier, right?"

"That's right. In that case, let's split off here. I'll follow along behind you to keep an eye on things. Good luck."

Bidding farewell to the younger girl, Rei quickly strode off with her briefcase in hand, easily blending into the crowd of workers just coming off of their shifts.

Once Yukiko could no longer follow her boss with her eyes, she took a deep breath and steeled herself. She was the only person available that could perform this mission. Even if human interaction wasn't necessarily her strong point, Rei was counting on her to do well.

With a fire of determination burning in her heart, Yukiko made her way through the crowd and to her destination.

Once she arrived, she stood by the gates of the high school and waited for her target to show up. It didn't take very long to spot her. After all, Saya had a very unique appearance, despite her parents' looks. Her striking azure hair and deep blue eyes stood out amongst the crowd of students. If there was one thing Yukiko noticed above all, it would be the loneliness in Saya's eyes. After all, Yukiko once felt the crushing pain of isolation before Rei had saved her.

Seeing her target was alongne, Yukiko steeled herself and began walking towards her, only to stop when she saw a black-haired girl wearing an unfamiliar uniform approach her target and begin talking to her.

The Yuuki-onna continued to watch as the new arrival happily hugged her target before quickly exchanging numbers.

This was bad. Out of all days, why did it have to be today? Someone had just stolen the target and ruined their plans.

Maybe… Maybe Yukiko still had a chance. There was a chance that Saya had multiple lovers.

Swallowing hard, she continued undeterred towards her target, hell bent on completing her mission. It wasn't until when she was arms reach within her target when she froze up. No. It wasn't her powers returning to her. Those should still be dormant for another few hours. It was because of her crippling fear of people.

What should she say? What if she said the wrong thing? How should she approach?

Ever since she was little, Yukiko had a fear of others. From being an outcast in her family to being bullied by others, she began to speak less and less.

Yukiko blinked, trying to dispel those thoughts from her mind, but when she opened her eyes again, Saya had disappeared from her sight. Frantically, she scanned her surroundings to try to find her target again, but the throng of students walking all around her was like an impassable wall.

"Yuki! Yuki! Can you hear me?"

The Yuuki-onna jumped when she heard her name being called. She looked in the direction the voice came from to see Rei walking through the crowd towards her. Stopping in front of her, Rei bent down and drew Yukiko into a hug.

"Yuki, I'm sorry for making you do this. Are you alright?" The older woman asked in worry.

That's right… Even if Yukiko did make a mistake, Rei would always forgive her. Just like a caring mother.

"Rei… I failed… Sorry…"

Her voice came out soft and uncertain.

In response to this, Rei tightened her hold on Yukiko.

"It's alright. We'll think of another way. Come on, let's go."

Taking Yukiko by the hand, Rei began leading the girl through the crowd of people. Just like how Rei had moved in to help Yukiko, she navigated through them with an otherworldly elegance. To Yukiko, it seemed like everyone was parting to make way for the woman like a red carpet just for them. The impassable wall had disappeared and was replaced by a clear pathway that stretched towards the horizon.

* * *

"Dead… huh?"

Rei and Yukiko stared down at the corpse of the young woman they were tasked to observe. They had been following the girl for the better part of a week until Sunday rolled around when their target went on a date with her girlfriend. What they hadn't expected was for that girl to be Raynare, a Fallen Angel in the service of the Grigori.

"Hoh… If it isn't Azazel's dogs. Did Azazel order you to follow this kid?" The Fallen Angel asked condescendingly. "Well, too bad. The kid's not special at all."

"Still, you didn't have to kill her," Rei retorted. "I'm guessing Kokabiel sent you, Raynare."

The Fallen Angel's eyes narrowed.

"And what makes you think that?"

It was no secret that the Grigori was internally split between two different factions. One faction supported Azazel and his vision for peace between Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels. The other was composed of warmongers with grudges that wanted nothing more than to destroy the Angels and Devils.

The two women glared at each other and sparks appeared to fly between them until a glowing red magic circle appeared near them.

"Tch. The Gremory brat, huh?" The Fallen Angel spread her wings and flew into the sky. "If you know what's good for you, dogs, I suggest you run home to Azazel."

Leaving the last warning behind, Raynare flew away, leaving the two girls and one dead one behind to deal with an incoming Devil.

In the next second, a girl with long, crimson hair that reached her lower back and sharp vermillion eyes appeared out of the magic circle. She scanned her surroundings, taking in the two girls standing over a dead body before summoning a black ball of magic in her hands.

"Were you two the ones that did this," she inquired, ready to strike at any moment.

Not wanting to risk a battle with Rias Gremory, the next heir to one of the most powerful Devil families and the overseer of Kuoh, Rei placed her hands in front of her in a placating manner.

"Unfortunately you just missed the one that killed the girl. We're just here as observers," she explained.

"Observers..? Don't tell me the leader of the Grigori sent you?"

Rei was surprised at how keen the high-schooler was. The girl had managed deduce something like this in mere seconds.

Smiling, Rei shook her head. After all, Eidolon's existence wasn't widely known even amongst members of the Grigori.

"No. The two of us are here on our own accord."

The young heiress' eyes narrowed in suspicion before shaking her head and sighing.

"Well, whoever you two are, it's clear that you two aren't here to fight. Can you tell me anything about the person that killed her?" Rias Gremory asked while pointing to the dead girl lying face down in a pool of her blood.

"It was a Fallen Angel, although, I don't think she was hear on orders from Azazel," Rei answered. "Rather, I think she was ordered by Kokabiel."

"Hm… You're right. That Azazel probably wouldn't kill a Sacred Gear holder no matter what."

Her grasp on the Grigori leader's hobby exceeded Rei's expectations. Never quite one to pay attention to politics, Rei didn't have the time to look into the other faction's leaders, but this Gremory girl seems to have done her research.

Glancing to her side, Rei noticed that an icey aura began to seep out of Yukiko again. The Gremory and the girl herself didn't seem to have noticed, but it was only a matter of time. She had to end this quickly.

"Rias Gremory, although I already suspect that you are going to do this, please, revive the girl," Rei requested.

"Hm? Yes. I was planning on doing so, but why do you care about her?"

"That is… something I unfortunately cannot answer. Now, if you'll excuse us."

Bowing her head, Rei took Yukiko's hand and began walking away from the crimson-haired Devil.

"Hey! Stop! I'm not done questioning you yet! Who are you two anyways?" Rias called after the two.

"Just a leader and her subordinate," Rei answered while looking over her shoulder.

Those were the words the enigmatic leader left the young heiress before disappearing in a gust of wind.

* * *

 **Omake: Heart of Ice**

It's cold... So cold… I can't feel my body at all… Why was I born like this? Why can't I have been born normal?!

Except… that would've never happened. My family is special. All females born into our family have the ability to control ice at will. That's because our ancestors were Yuuki-onnas, ice women. As a result of our abilities, we have can withstand extreme cold temperatures. But… For some reason I was born with the strongest abilities recorded in history. It's so powerful that even me and other Yuuki-onnas can't stand the cold. Then because of my powers, I was shunned from the family and called a monster.

But out of everyone that shunned me… there was one person who accepted and loved me.

There was a knock on my bedroom door accompanied by a voice; a voice that always helped warm my heart, no matter how cold my body got.

"Yuki! Are you in there?"

Disentangling myself from the mess of blankets and heating packs I wrapped around my body, I got up from my bed and walked over to the door to open it.

"Nii-chan, welcome back."

Standing outside of my door like always was my older brother, Kazuhito. He was the only one out of my family that actually visited me. The only one who genuinely cared for me.

As always, he had a cheery expression and he was hiding something behind him.

"Hey there, Yuki! How're you doing today?" He chirped.

"Fine. Thanks."

"Good, good! Well guess what, I brought you some more treats today!"

The males in our family do not get the powers of ice the females do, but they do have the tolerance we do so Nii-san is essentially just a normal human. And although everyone else hated me for what I am, he accepts and loves me with all his heart. That's why I love him unconditionally in return.

Every day after his school lets out he buys sweets for me and visits me. Then he tells me about his school and his friends. It's always so much fun hearing him talk.

And then comes the usual nightly ritual.

He calls it a ritual to help me control my powers, but I know what it is.

It's sex.

Every night, after everyone else has gone to bed, he comes into my room and has his way with me. Most of the time he's rough and it hurts, but I love him so I can endure it knowing that he loves me back.

I'm happy that I can repay him for the kindness he's shown me.

After he finishes, he leaves me and goes back to his own room to sleep so I have to clean everything up.

It doesn't matter because I know he's busy. As a student, he has to wake up early to go to school.

Day after day, this is how we spend our time together.

I love him so much, and he loves me back.

It's the truth.

No matter what anyone else says.

It's the truth…

So why…

Why is it that I still feel so empty inside?

Why? Whywhywhywhywhywhywhy?!

Is it because of my powers? Have they frozen my heart over as well?

Like this... the days end up blending together sometimes. I lose track of time and I don't know if days or weeks have passed.

Another night… Nii-san is on top of me, caressing my hair.

"Ah… Yuki… You're so beautiful… Just like a doll… Hehahaha… All mine to play with..."

I'm happy. I'm happy he thinks I'm pretty. I'm happy that he's attracted to me.

It hurts when he puts it in, but I'm happy because he feels good.

I'm exhausted when he finishes, but I take the time to clean up as best I can. It's almost midnight when I finish, but it doesn't matter. I don't go anywhere anyways. All I need in my life is Nii-san.

But… Tonight… as I was cleaning up, I saw it. Pictures. Pictures of other girls. Four at least. Each of them naked and tied up. I knew who they were. He showed pictures of them to me on his phone before saying they were his friends. They were clothed and smiling in the pictures on his phone. In these ones, they were crying. Why did he have these?

Why?

Nii-san…

I thought…

You loved me…

No…

That's not quite right.

I knew all along what kind of person Nii-san was. I knew all along he was a deviant. I just chose to look away because he gave me something to live for, no matter how twisted his intentions were. If it weren't for him, I would have killed myself long ago.

But I guess… I can't deceive myself forever. These pictures… if he's going around and hurting other girls, then I have to stop him. It may be too late for them, but the least I can do to atone for enabling him is too prevent any other victims.

Getting up from my bed, I opened the door to my bedroom and stepped out into the hallway of our house. There were no lights on, but staying in a dark room all day made it so my eyes were adjusted to seeing in the dark. It all looked so foreign to me. When was the last time I last stepped out of my room? Five years ago? Ten years ago? I can't remember. It's all a blur to me.

I began making my way to the kitchen, or towards where I thought where the kitchen was. Luckily, my memory wasn't as bad as I thought it was and I managed to find it with ease. Taking one of the knives, I made my way back towards Nii-san's room.

Standing in front of the doorway, I looked down at the object in my hands.

Knife. Knifeknifeknifeknifeknife.

It's a knife.

This… is murder, isn't it? Am I really going to go through with this?

But… He deserves it… I realize now, that out of everyone in my family, he was the cruelest one. It would have been easier to deal with if he just abandoned me like everyone else. Instead he pretended to love me and gave me false hope.

That's it. I'll kill him, and then kill myself. That's all I have to do. One stab and it's all over.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly and silently opened the door to his room. Suddenly, a hand shot out of the darkness and grabbed me by my hair and yanked me into the dark room.

"Heh. You think I wouldn't notice you creeping up on me, eh, Yuki? We're family, so of course I know," Nii-san said as he stayed down at me, still holding onto my hair. Even though he was still smiling, I didn't feel any warmth from it.

Do it. Just do it!

"Haaaaah!"

Fighting against his grip, I tried to slash upwards at him except he stomped down on my arm and pinned it to the ground. There was a sickening crunch as my wrist probably broke from the force of his stomp.

I bit down on my lip to stop myself from screaming in pain. It drew blood, causing me to taste a mixture of iron and salt as my tears mixed with it.

"Bad girls need to be punished, you know. You should've just accepted by love and lived with it. Instead, you just had to go defying your big brother, hm?"

That smile… Stop looking at me like that. Please! I can't… I can't..!

"Now…" Nii-san bent down and looked me in the eye, his foot grinding down on my broken wrist. "Let's begin your punishment."

No! No! I don't want this! Please! Anybody..!

Save me!

...

* * *

...

It's… cold… So cold… Am I dying..? Is it finally over..?

White. Everything is white…

"Heeeh~? So this was ground zeroes of that crazy flash freeze, huh?"

A voice? It was somewhat rough sounding, but it was definitely female.

"Yes. This is the place Azazel specified."

Another voice: Mature, warm, and female.

When I tried to move my body, I found that I couldn't feel my limbs at all.

"Still don't get why he sent us," the first voice complained. "It's freaking freezing here!"

"Ah! Karma! Don't move around so much! Your fire's getting blown out!"

"Oh shit! Sorry, boss."

The second voice sighed.

"It's fine. Just keep in mind that if we lose your fire, we're basically as good as dead. The temperature in this area is so low that time may as well have frozen along with everything else."

"That's… is that even possible?"

There was a slight pause before the second voice replied.

"In theory it is. Following the concept of absolute zero, where all atomic movement is halted, it can also be theorized that if you go below absolute zero, even waves, or more specifically, light waves could be frozen in place as well. If that were to happen, then time is essentially frozen in place."

"Huh? Um… right. Okay."

"Basically, everything in that space is frozen, including light."

"That sounds pretty bad."

"It is which is why Azazel sent us. We're the only ones that can survive in a space like this."

I can hear a pair of footsteps getting closer to me now, but I still can't see them. Why? Why is everything so white? Why can't I move?

The footsteps paused in front of me followed by a low whistle.

"Hey," the first voice said. "You think this was the kid that did it?"

"She might be… Compared to all the other frozen bodies, hers is actually being preserved inside the ice crystal."

"Jeez… that's a lot of firepower for a squirt like her. What the hell do you think happened here?"

"Only one way to find out. Devour!"

There was a strange sound before the white surrounding me began cracking and breaking away to reveal two women staring at me.

One was extremely tall and well built. Muscles rippled with every movement under her tanned skin, but what really caught my eye was the aura of fire blazing around her body.

My eyes were then magnetically drawn in and locked onto the other woman. She was the very definition of a goddess. Her silver hair draped across her porcelain-like features perfectly, causing her to look almost like a doll. Her body was slim but well-proportioned, and the cut of her suit pronounced all of her curves.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" The silver-haired woman asked with a pleasant smile.

Is she… talking to me?

Finding that I had temporarily lost my voice, I simply nodded at her question.

"Good. For a second there, I was afraid that you might be dead."

There was genuine relief in her voice.

"Heh. No kiddin'. You look like death, kid," the fire woman commented. "I had a pretty rough life, myself, but at least I was fed well. You look like you're just skin and bones."

What is this? Are they really talking to me?

"Well, that can easily be fixed once we get back to HQ," the silver-haired woman said before stretching her hand out towards me. "Come on. Let's get you out of there."

My body moved instinctively to reach out for her and grasp her hand.

Warm.

Her hand is… warm.

Smiling, the woman pulled me up and out of whatever I had been trapped in with strength that belied her slender build.

This is…

Looking around at my surroundings, I noticed that we were standing in the middle of an ice field. There were small structures made of ice dotted around me in seemingly random locations, but what really threw me off were the trees and greenery at the edge of the glacier. It was like the ice was isolated into a perfect circle that we were standing on right now.

"Are you alright?" The silver-haired woman asked me.

"Um… y-yes…"

"Good. Now, sorry if this is a bit sudden, but can you tell me what happened here?"

What… happened..?

I was… I was…

"I was… going to kill Nii-san when… he attacked me… and…"

I can't remember. What happened after Nii-san attacked me? I just remember being cold, and scared.

The silver-haired woman frowned as my mind whirled to try to remember what happened to me after.

Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I looked up to see the woman smiling down at me.

"It's alright. If it's too hard to remember right now, then you can always try later. For now, why don't we get out of here?"

"Eh? Get out..? But my family…"

"It's fine. Your family has asked us to take care of you from now on."

They did? But…

"Now, let's go."

The silver-haired woman took my hand again and began leading me towards the edge of the ice field with the flaming woman. Looking at her, I saw that her kindness was genuine. They way she gently guided me and spoke to me, the way she encouraged me, and the way she firmly gripped my hand told me that I could trust this woman.

And… for once in my life… I felt warm.

* * *

"Yuki! Wake up!"

I stirred from my sleep and blearily opened my eyes to see Rei's smiling face staring back at me.

"Rei...?" I mumbled as I rubbed my eyes.

"Yes, it's me. You looked like you were having a bad dream, but you were smiling when I tried to wake you up. Are you alright?"

Ah... That smile...

Covering my face with my scarf, I nodded.

"Well, that's good. Although, have you been getting enough sleep lately? The moment you sat down, you pretty much knocked out."

I shook my head.

"Sorry..."

Smiling gently, Rei reached down and ruffled my hair.

"It's fine. Just make sure you get enough sleep later. For now, come on. We're at the city."

I watched my savior stand up and stretch her arms.

You know... I remember now... but you've kept your word and haven't asked me to tell you about what happened. I'm sure you already know what happened back then, just like I do. I can tell, though. That you're still waiting for the moment where I'll open up my heart to you. That's why... please wait just a little while longer. I want to make sure I'm worthy to stand beside you before I bear my entire self to you. So wait for me, okay, Rei?

Standing up, I walked over to join Rei by the doors of the train as it rolled to a stop at the station.

I'll try my hardest again, today!

* * *

 **-Database-**

 **Name:** Rei Lumin  
 **Age:** 23  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Absolute Predator – A Sacred Gear that allows the user to control an extension of themselves in order to devour and assimilate any existence in the universe.

-Further information is restricted to authorized personnel

 **Name:** Karma  
 **Age:** Approximately 25  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Salamander morph – Possessing the blood of a salamander, a lizard with powerful flame abilities that resides in volcanoes, it strengthens Karma's resilience to heat while also allowing her to breathe fire. Her scales are highly resistant to damage and her muscles are stronger than ordinary humans.

 **Name:** Yukiko Himeragi  
 **Age:** 17  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Yuuki-onna – Much like other Yuuki-onna, she possesses the ability to control and form ice at will. However, she has the strongest powers of a Yuuki-onna her age ever recorded in history, making it somewhat hard to control for her.

 **Name:** Hasu Kirsche  
 **Age;** 19  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** No Longer Human – Due to extensive body modifications and necromancy, Hasu has been transformed into a psuedo-immortal. He body is extremely resistant to all forms of damage and she will not die even if her heart is pierced or her head is severed making her nearly invincible.

 **Name:** Elizabeth Bathory  
 **Age:** 256  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Bloody Vampire – Being a full-fledged vampire gives Elizabeth all the abilities and demerits other vampires have with a focus on familiars, but being a direct descendant of Elizabeth Bathory also gives her the ability to control blood.


	4. SS 4 (Eidolon Side)

**AN:** New years release for DRE Side Stories! Sorry for not being as active with the main story, but I've been pretty busy with family matters during the winter break. I think I've gotten halfway through the main story chapter now. But anyways, I'll be posting a lot more side stories for now to keep the masses sated until Saya makes a triumphant and explosive return. So for now, enjoy these shorts.

* * *

 **SS 4 (Eidolon Side): Uncoordinated, Mismatched, Zombie Girl**

Sitting alone in the meeting room for Eidolon was a lone girl with her body wrapped up in bandages. Sighing wistfully, she takes a sip of tea from the cup sitting in front of her as she patiently waits for her comrades to come home.

Hasu was always being left alone like this when the other Eidolon members went on missions. She was clumsy, airheaded, and couldn't control her strength most of the time so she was really only useful when it came to dangerous combat missions.

The mummy-like girl sighed again as she stood up from the couch to try to find something to do. Unknowingly, one of the stray bandages wrapped around her body had gotten trapped inside the black hole between cushions so when Hasu got up, she set off an insane set of chain reactions that would make a dominoes master proud.

The poor girl had stood up so fast and sudden that bandage that got caught strained to unravel her with the same amount of force, as according Newton's laws, which sent her spinning like an ice skater performing a triple axel before her knees collided into the table. Tea cups spilled onto expensive rugs as Hasu continued whirling around the room while causing the destruction equal to a miniature tornado. Expensive china was thrown off shelves and even the couches weren't spared from the destruction. Finally, the zombie girl stopped spinning once she was completely naked save for a few strips of bandages left to cover her most important bits.

"Hawawawa… Spinny, spinny, spinnyyyy…" Hasu mumbled in a daze as she stumbled before crashing into a pile of broken china.

And just in time to see the chaos the clumsy girl wracked on the room right away was the rest of Eidolon who opened the door just as Hasu toppled over.

They could only stare in disbelief at the mess she had made when they had only been gone for a couple of hours.

"Man, again, Hasu? We should really keep someone around to keep an eye on her," Karma commented with a small chuckle as she helped the dazed girl up to her feet while brushing off pieces of broken pottery with her claws. Yet somehow, the three strips of bandages still remain magically glued to her womanly bits.

"Ah… So much property damage again…" Yukiko sighed as she went over and began gathering the broken bits of everything into a self-made ice dustpan-broom combo.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was leaning over the precious remains of a mug Rei got her for her birthday that said "#1 Goth Loli Vampire" on the side.

"Onee-sama's gift… Onee-sama's gift… It's…" She whined pitifully from the ground.

Rei, on the other hand, could only smile. She really didn't regret finding and bringing any of these girls under her wing. Striding forward, she went to work assessing the damages so she could pay for more replacements.

The cleanup only took about an hour with everyone minus Hasu working together, but considering how the undead girl had managed to destroy nearly everything with value in the room in a matter of seconds; the girls would say that it was a net loss.

"We should really do something to fix Hasu's clumsiness," Elizabeth said, sipping coffee from one of the many duplicate mugs she made of the gift Rei gave her. "Our expenses are almost all spent on replacing the things she's breaking."

"Yeah, well, not like we buy all that much other stuff to begin with," Karma pointed out. "We just buy food, drinks, and snacks, and maybe some occasional junk."

"That's true. Rei gives us everything we ever need," Yukiko added.

Even with Karma's and Yukiko's half-assurances, Hasu still didn't feel any better.

As the girls mulled over what to do with Hasu's clumsiness, Rei suddenly clapped her hands to gather everyone's attentions.

"Alright everyone! We can decide on how to deal with Hasu's clumsiness later. For now, I'll grab some money from one of our offshore accounts to pay for the damages. Hasu, you're coming with me."

"E-Eeeehh?! M-Me? Why me?!"

"Well, you are the one that broke all of the items that needs to be replaced. Just think of this as training," Rei replied matter-of-factly. "Now come on. We don't have all day."

Taking the zombie girl's hand, Rei then proceeds to drag her out of the room, the door clicking shut behind them.

"Haauuu…"

Walking into a certain bank located in England, the unusual-looking pair of a silver-haired woman with the appearance of a runway model together with a girl a purple-haired girl with the body of a gravure model drew a lot of stares needless to say. Unused to this sort of attention, Hasu tried to hide from the people by ducking behind Rei's back.

Rei, unphased by the attention, continues to stride up to one of the tellers.

"Hello, I'd like to make a withdrawal," she requested in perfect English.

"Of course, ma'am. First I'll nee-"

Before the teller could continue his sentence, a singular gunshot rang out throughout the lobby of the bank, drawing more than a few screams from the patrons and the tellers.

In the center of the lobby stood a group of four men dressed in suits with an assortment of masks covering their identities. The leader, the man in the center wearing some sort of rubber chicken mask, was the one who fired the shot if the smoking barrel of his pistol was of any indication.

The robbers were armed to the teeth with military grade supplies. They all wore thick Kevlar vests over their suits with extra magazines almost overflowing from the pockets. One of the men was carrying some sort of shotgun with a drum magazine, another was carrying an assault rifle with an under barrel grenade launcher, and the last was carrying a belt-fed machine gun.

"Alright everybody, on the floor, now! We're not here to hurt anyone so it'd be best for you all to listen to us, got it?" He shouted as some sort of voice modifier pitched his voice down.

When nobody in the bank moved, the leader clicked his tongue and fired off another shot into the ceiling, drawing out another set of screams.

"Second chance! Everybody, on the ground, now!"

The civilians, having no other choice but to comply, all fell silent at once and sat down on the ground. Rei and Hasu, not wanting to risk the loss of any lives, also went down to the floor as well.

By now, one of the tellers should have pushed the silent alarm button so the police should be on the way. The only problem was that these men looked like professionals. Would the police stand a chance against such heavily armed robbers?

"Hasu," Rei whispered to the zombie girl to get her attention, making sure her mouth moved as little as possible. "I want you to charge at the guy carrying the big gun while screaming as loud as you can. When you get shot, I want you to pretend to be dead and then wait for my signal. When you hear it, I want you to take down the big guy first and then the others."

The zombie girl gave a little nod, determined to carry out Rei's plan to best of her abilities.

Slowly standing up, the purple-haired girl did her best to level a menacing glare at the robbers.

"Hm? Didn't you hear me, girl? Get. Down," the leader ordered while pointing his pistol at her.

Taking a deep breath to fill up her lungs, Hasu let loose a loud wail and began sprinting towards her target. The scream was loud enough to surprise the group of armed men for a few seconds. It was just enough time for Hasu to cover enough distance to get within arms reach from the group before she was gunned down by a hail of bullets.

Meanwhile, as Hasu was moving, Rei waited for one second before running towards the leader while their attention was focused on the zombie girl.

The leader turned around just in time to see Rei's leg speeding towards his face. It made contact a second later and sent the man flying into the wall, knocking him unconscious.

Landing nimbly on her feet, Rei turned to see the rest of the robbers pointing their guns at her, about to shoot.

"Hasu!"

At Rei's signal, the zombie girl pushed herself off the ground and tackled the man carrying the belt-fed machine gun, making him fire wildly into her stomach before he was knocked unconscious by a punch to his head. Taking advantage of the confusion, Rei moved in on one of the remaining two gunmen while Hasu went to attack the other. Hasu' punch sent one of the men careening into his partner while Rei launched a kick that knocked the both of them out cold.

The bank was silent as the spectators stared blankly at the unconscious bodies of four men armed to the teeth that were taken out by the two women. Not only that, but the purple-haired woman clearly got shot multiple times, and yet the only things to show for it were the holes on the front of her shirt.

A second later, the bank erupted in a chorus of cheers and applause for the two heroines who bravely defeated the robbers.

Smiling, Rei waved at the crowd before patting the zombie girl on her head.

"Good work, Hasu. Because you performed my orders so perfectly, there were no casualties today," she praised.

Hearing those words, Hasu visibly brightened up and puffed out her ample chest with pride.

If there was one thing Hasu was good at, it was working under pressure. She may be a klutz and an airhead in everyday life, but when a dire situation arises, she's able to perform her duties spectacularly.

As Hasu was glowing from Rei's praise, the silver-haired woman calmly walked up to the teller that was helping her before and placed her hands on the counter.

"Now that that distraction is taken care of, I would like to make a withdrawal."

* * *

 **Omake: Undying Monster**

I'm a monster. It's undeniable. I've killed so many people already. It doesn't matter that I didn't do it of my own free will. It doesn't change the fact that my hands are stained with blood.

I glanced down at my hands, wrapped up in torn bandages that are permanently stained red. By my feet lay the mangled bodies of another innocent family. A father, a mother, and their two sons.

" _Good work, Ultima. A wonderful test run as always,"_ the familiar voice of my creator rang clearly in my head. _"A few dozen more victims and I should have enough parts to create another one. Your… sister, I suppose I should say. Come back home now."_

I can't fight against my creator. My only choice is to obey his commands. Even if I try to resist, he forces his will into me.

Bending down, I opened the burlap sack I brought with me and began stuffing the bodies into it. I was almost finished when I heard footsteps approach from behind me.

"Hm… When Azazel said monster, I certainly wasn't expecting a teenage girl," the person, who had a feminine voice, said.

Another person… I'll have to kill her won't I?

Standing up, I turned around to face the new arrival. She was a woman dressed in a black, form-fitting suit with long, flowing silver hair that reached down to her lower black. She was carrying some sort of rapier in her right hand that she was pointing at me with.

" _An obstacle. Deal with her quickly, Ultima. This should serve as a decent test for your combat abilities."_

The silver-haired woman smirked knowingly as if she could hear my master's voice.

"I see now. You're being controlled by a third party," she said. "If that's the case, then my work here is done."

Sheathing her sword, the woman turned away and began walking out of the small house.

" _What are you doing, Ultima?! Attack! Strike her down!"_

No… I don't want to… but..!

My body's moving on its own..!

Closer, closer… The woman isn't turning around.

No! Run! Get away! I don't want to kill anyone else!

Please! Don't make me do this!

"You poor soul… Very well. I have heard your plea and I shall grant you release from your curse."

All I saw in the next second was a flash of white before everything went black and I felt myself crumple to the ground.

" _Wh-What?! Impossible! How could Ultima have been defeated so easily?! Wh-What?! No! Who are you people?! F-Fire?! Ice?! N-No! Stop! D-Don't come near me! Ugaaaaaaaaahhh!"_

* * *

My body… my arms… my legs… they all feel so heavy… but my head… for some reason… my head feels so much lighter than before… It feels like… I don't have anything controlling my movements for me.

"Oh, are you awake? Good. I didn't know how your creator made you so I didn't know for sure if the binding spell would work."

A familiar voice… It was that woman from before. She's okay? And what's she talking about?

"Can you move? Can you open your eyes?" She asked.

Open my eyes? Um… How do I..?

Concentrating on where my eyes should be, I tried my best to perform any kind of action that would cause them to open. Soon enough, I felt my eyelids crack open and light flooded into my eyes.

"Alright. It seems your motor abilities are somewhat unaffected. Although, I suspect having someone else controlling your every move would contribute to your condition."

Once my eyes had adjusted to the light, I saw the silver-haired woman face hovering over me.

"Can you see me?" She asked. "If you can't speak, then just nod."

Again, I concentrated and repeated the motion I did with my eyes, but with my mouth this time. It didn't take as long to get it open, but I quickly found that I couldn't speak. Or rather, I didn't know how to speak. So I settled for the nod instead, finding it easier to move my body now.

"Good," the woman said with a warm smile.

"Hey, hey! This creepy ass lab is startin' to freak me out! Let's hurry up and get out of here!" A rough female voice called out from the corner of the room. I turned my head to see that it came from a tanned woman with strange red-scales covering parts of her body.

"What is it, Karma? Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts?" A smaller, younger girl with long black hair with a scarf wrapped around her neck said from beside the tanned woman.

"Shut it, Yuki! It's your fault for making me watch all those crazy scary Japanese horror movies with you!"

"That was actually Rei's idea... but I thought those movies were fun."

"Ahem!" The silver-haired woman cleared her throat and shot a threatening glance towards the two strange girls which immediately caused them to clam up before she turned her attention back to me. "Sorry about those two. It hasn't been too long since they met and neither of them are very good with other people. For now, though. Karma is right. Let's go to somewhere more comfortable. Can you stand?"

Focusing my attention on my legs, I found that I could move them to some degree, but my movements were still lightly sluggish. Seeing this, the silver-haired woman took hold of my hand and gently helped me off of the bed I was laying on.

"Come on, Karma, Yuki, we're going," the silver-haired woman said to the other two as she guided me towards the door to the laboratory where I was created. I caught sight of a large, fresh bloodstain in the center of the room that hadn't been there before as we made our way out.

* * *

"Hasu! Are you listening? Hasu!"

"Hauh!"

I jolted in my seat as I heard Elizabeth's high-pitched voice scream right into my ear.

"Jeez… Hasu. No matter how clumsy you are, that doesn't mean you can just doze off in the middle of our conversation!" Elizabeth complained.

The vampire girl continued to chatter on as I tuned her out and stared down at my bandaged hands. Ever since Rei found me, killed me, and resurrected me, I've come a long way. It took me weeks to get used to having full control over my body. I also found out something very disturbing about my existence. Back when Rei first found me, she managed to kill me with her weapon, but in order to bring me back to "life"; she performed a ritual that bound my life to hers. That meant that I couldn't be killed by any means, but if Rei were to die, I would die with her. Apparently she sensed an amazing potential within me when she first saw me which is why she decided to go through with it.

So that's why… That's why I'll use myself and protect her in any way I can. She brought me away from that unlife with my creator and into the light. The least I could to do repay her kindness is to protect her with everything I have.

"Hasu! You're not listening to me at all, are you?!"

"Eeeek! I'm sorry!"

* * *

 **-Database-**

 **Name:** Rei Lumin  
 **Age:** 23  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Absolute Predator – A Sacred Gear that allows the user to control an extension of themselves in order to devour and assimilate any existence in the universe.

-Further information is restricted to authorized personnel

 **Name:** Karma  
 **Age:** Approximately 25  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Salamander morph – Possessing the blood of a salamander, a lizard with powerful flame abilities that resides in volcanoes, it strengthens Karma's resilience to heat while also allowing her to breathe fire. Her scales are highly resistant to damage and her muscles are stronger than ordinary humans.

 **Name:** Yukiko Himeragi  
 **Age:** 17  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Yuuki-onna – Much like other Yuuki-onna, she possesses the ability to control and form ice at will. However, she has the strongest powers of a Yuuki-onna her age ever recorded in history, making it somewhat hard to control for her.

 **Name:** Hasu Kirsche  
 **Age;** 19  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** No Longer Human – Due to extensive body modifications and necromancy, Hasu has been transformed into a psuedo-immortal. He body is extremely resistant to all forms of damage and she will not die even if her heart is pierced or her head is severed making her nearly invincible.

 **Name:** Elizabeth Bathory  
 **Age:** 256  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Bloody Vampire – Being a full-fledged vampire gives Elizabeth all the abilities and demerits other vampires have with a focus on familiars, but being a direct descendant of Elizabeth Bathory also gives her the ability to control blood.


	5. SS 5 (Eidolon Side)

**AN:** Oh man, I am getting hyped for Fate Extella. Pre-ordered the special edition and its coming in in a couple of weeks. Anyways, here's the next chapter of Side Stories as I'm working on the main story. I managed to give Saya a psuedo-new ability so there's that to look forward to. And its nice to see that people are enjoying these side stories as much as I like writing them. Anyways, thanks to all you wonderful people for sticking with my procrastinating butt. I know my upload/work ethic is terrible and I appreciate everyone's support.

* * *

 **SS 5 (Eidolon Side): Hungry for Blood**

"Onee-samaaaaaaa!"

A piercing, high-pitched scream that could've only belonged to a certain legal loli shot through the hallways of the Eidolon headquarters as the owner of said voice sped through the hallways in search of her one and only beloved Onee-sama, Rei Lumin.

This blatant lesbian that acts and looks like a child that is far too into cosplaying is actually a two-and-a-half-century old vampire. So yes, in actuality, she is an old hag who calls a woman that is one-tenth of her age: Onee-sama. Quite creepy, no?

However! Despite Rei's constant evasion of the little vampire, Elizabeth Bathory has not given up on her mark. No. Quite the opposite. The more Rei ignores her advances, the deeper in love Elizabeth falls for her captain.

Now, as Elizabeth searches frantically for her one and only love, let us refocus our attention to the recipient of this love.

Rei Lumin was constantly undergoing a strategy meeting with Azazel, the Fallen Angel that is the leader of the Grigori faction and the overseer of the Grigori Special Operations Unit Eidolon, about the future of the faction.

"You were right, Rei. I should have put a tighter leash on that Kokabiel. I guess I should have listened to you," Azazel said with a heavy sigh as he massaged his forehead. His usually flippant attitude had disappeared in front of Rei who stood calmly in front of him.

"I thought you were well enough acquainted with my abilities already, but it seems you still can't place much faith in my advisings," Rei replied.

"You're right. I guess my soft heart proved to be my undoing this time."

"Yes, but your soft heart is what kept the Grigori alive all these years."

"Hahaha!" The Fallen Angel gave a mirthless chuckle at Rei's words. "That means a lot coming from the monster of rationality."

"Monster of rationality, hm? It's not very nice to refer to me as such a thing, you know."

"Right, right. Though to be honest, you're the most terrifying existence in the world, moreover than Ophis or the Great Red."

Rei smirked and shook her head.

"Now you're just flattering me, Azazel. Even if you do such a thing, I have no intention in getting back in a relationship with you."

"Nah, don't kid yourself. You fooled me once with that. Don't think it'll work again, miss strategist."

"Very well. The old dog is learning."

"Old dog, huh?" Azazel shook his head before resuming to speak." Anyways, back to business. What do you think our next step should be? Do you think you can disable Kokabiel and bring him back?"

Rei paused to think for a moment before coming to a conclusion in a few seconds.

"Nothing."

"Huh?"

The Fallen Angel was taken aback by the woman's suggestion.

"Even as we speak, the Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri are most likely mobilizing their forces to counter Kokabiel's plan."

"That may be the case, but Kokabiel is on another level from the opponents they fought before. Riser doesn't even match up to him."

"Of course, but that is where the other dragon comes in."

"The… other dragon? You don't mean…"

Rei nodded.

"The White Dragon Empress. No doubt, Valerie has taken an interest in that Saya girl. We can send her to deal with Kokabiel."

Azazel rubbed his chin at Rei's proposition before finally nodding.

"Of course. That makes sense," he said before sighing and scratching his head. "But I just can't shake the feeling that you have something else up your sleeve with this move. You're always at least ten steps ahead of everyone else. Well, whatever. Alright. I'll tell Valerie to move out soon."

Rei smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes before turning around to face the door to Azazel's office.

"That may be the case; however, my strategies are always used for the Grigori's benefit. You have my word for that."

"Heh. Right. Just hurry up and get out of here. I can hear that vampire of yours all the way from over here."

"Very well then. I hope you will listen to my future advice, Azazel. Until then."

The silver-haired woman opened the wooden door and stepped through before closing it behind her.

"Now then," Rei mumbled as she looked down at the newest mission report she received earlier from Azazel. "Let's take Elizabeth on this one."

* * *

An unusual pair of girls, an elegant young woman with locks of silver hair showing from underneath her cloak and hood and a shorter girl with the appearance of a child wearing the same black cloak, were walking through the deserted streets of a rural village at night.

The town was silent all except for… well…

"Onee-sama~! Onee-sama~! A mission with Onee-samaaaa~!"

Elizabeth was singing loudly and her high-pitched voice served to cut through the night air like a saw through plastic. In other words, her voice was extremely grating.

However, Rei didn't mind that Elizabeth was making such a racket; in fact, this was the reason why she decided to take Elizabeth with her on this mission. This particular mission involved hunting down an elusive beast that had been attacking and killing the villagers at night. Apparently, Azazel received intel from one of the scouts he sent out that the beast possessed a Sacred Gear just before the scout died. That's why the mission had been specially delegated to Eidolon.

The duo reached the village center where the atmosphere around them suddenly shifted. The scenery distorted and changed from the eerie night to a dilapidated graveyard. In front of them stood a man dressed in the elite Church Executioner's attire, a modified priest garb with a leather cloak draped over the shoulders that was covered in dried blood. His face was wrapped up in dirty bandages and he wore a worn leather cap on his head. In one hand he held a wicked looking axe dripping with fresh blood and in his other hand he held the severed head of one of his unfortunate victims.

"More beasts to the slaughter…" the man growled, his voice coming out low and guttural. "The smell of the blood must've drawn you here. No matter. Your fate will be the same as the others."

The man cast the severed head to the side and began stalking towards Rei and Elizabeth. Elizabeth, who had long since calmed down, could only wrinkle her nose in disgust.

"It's true the smell of blood here is strong, but the uncultured blood of these peasants are not worth my time," she huffed as she stepped forward to meet the man. "Onee-sama. Please, leave this man to me. I just can't help but feel irritated when I look at this man."

Smiling knowingly, Rei nodded and conceded to Elizabeth's will. The crazed Executioner must remind Elizabeth of her past and her bloodline, something she had always cursed.

"It disgusts me to no end to see a former holy man fall into such depths of depravity," Elizabeth scoffed as she took out a silver, ornate knife and held the blade above her wrist. "Allow me to show you the errors of your ways."

Elizabeth punctuated the end of her sentence by digging the knife into the flesh of her wrist, drawing forth a small line of blood.

"Bloody Spears!"

The red liquid immediately sprang to life and sprayed out of the small wound into the air with the force of a geyser. Individual droplets began melding together into makeshift spears and shot towards the crazed Executioner. The man didn't even have time to react before he was impaled by multiple spears of blood, sending him skidding backwards. However, it didn't seem like the attack even fazed him. The Executioner simply straightened his back and hefted his axe onto his shoulder all while the spears were stuck into his body.

"Hah… Beasts all over the town… You'll be one of them, sooner or later…" He growled.

Roaring, the Executioner leapt forward and brought his axe crashing down, prompting Elizabeth to dodge to the side. The force of his attack smashed a crater into the ground while kicking up dust into the surrounding area. Following up after his attack, the Executioner dashed after Elizabeth while slashing through the air, causing the dust to get blown away revealing Elizabeth who was floating in the air.

"Bloody Rondo!"

The spears stuck inside of the Executioner's body reformed, flowed back to the Vampire and enveloped her body, creating a sort of makeshift armour just in time as the Executioner's axe crashed into her. Shards of blood broke off of the hastily made defence, but instantly sharpened and fired into the Executioner's face. Once again, the attack didn't seem to faze him as he continued his relentless assault against the tiny Vampire girl.

Weaving through the air, Elizabeth did her best to dodge the Executioner's attacks. Even though he had clearly lost his mind, his movements were efficient and powerful due to his former status as an elite Executioner. As the fight dragged on, Elizabeth began to accumulate more and wounds while she constantly peppered the man with her spells.

All of a sudden, Elizabeth backed off and put a fairly large distance between her and the Executioner.

"A mortal man drunk off the scent of blood like you can never go back to being human," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "That's why your only salvation is in death."

A phantom wind began blowing through the dreamscape as Elizabeth spread her arms and began building up power.

" _ **Shut, shut, shut, shut, shut. Pour five times and fill to the brim. Suffer in Hell for all eternity for the sins you have committed,"**_ she chanted as the wind whipped forth. _**"Kazikli Bey!"**_

There was a sickening squelching sound as the countless shards of blood Elizabeth fired into the Executioner coalesced into many thin spears and impaled the man countless times throughout his entire body while also simultaneously pinning him to the ground. Spittle flew out of the crazed man's mouth and mixed with the blood that was pouring from the countless wounds on his body.

"Out of everyone in this world, I can have no doubt that my bloodline has been soaked with the most crimson," Elizabeth spoke as she calmly walked up to the struggling man, her wounds rapidly regenerating. "Vlad Tepes, great uncle to Elizabeth Bathory… Both of these people were known as monsters that enjoyed blood above all else and as a result, lost themselves to its splendour. I, as a descendant from that bloodline have also been cursed by this affliction. I was like you, once, blinded by blood; by its taste, its smell, and its feel. However, I had centuries to realize my folly."

Stopping in front of the Executioner, Elizabeth stared up into his glossy, wild eyes. She reached out a hand and stroked his face.

"For you, though. You are too far gone. If you had another hundred years to live, I would rethink my decision to kill you. Farewell. I'm sure you were once a wonderful man.

Elizabeth stepped back, forming a scythe made of blood in her hands and in one, clean swing, took off the Executioner's head.

Now, with its master dead, the phantom nightmare that his madness had created disappeared. The countless corpses and blood covered ground vanished and was replaced by the serene sight of the village at night, save for the headless man impaled to the ground by countless spears crafted from blood. The nightmare world he lured his victims into was a product of a powerful Sacred Gear known as Dream World. With it the user is able to conjure a small space of whatever they can imagine. In the Executioner's case, his warped mind had created a purgatory for him to hunt the beasts of the night for the rest of his life.

The spears lost their form and splashed onto the ground into a single puddle of blood, allowing the Executioner's body to slump to the ground as well. As he did so, a small music box fell from under his cloak and landed on the ground. A small melody began to play from the box and broke the silence of the night.

Elizabeth reached down and picked up the box, shutting it while doing so and ending the song it was playing.

"Rest in peace, Executioner. Your duty to the world is done," she whispered before reaching out a hand to the man's body.

The pool of blood around his body jumped to life and enveloped the Executioner's body. Before long, his body had been assimilated into the pool of blood. It then began to condense into itself and hardened into a small gem that resembled a ruby. Elizabeth took it into her hands and placed it on top of the music box.

Seeing as the Vampire was done, Rei decided to step forward and place a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm guessing the music box was something precious to him. Right?" She asked.

"Yes. That's correct. It was a gift to him from his daughter after his wife had passed. He kept it on him at all times and it brought him comfort when he would listen to the tune it played."

Unknown to others, whenever Elizabeth uses the blood of another in her spells, she sees glimpses into their memories which is why she so rarely does so.

"His daughter still lives in this town, surprisingly, under the care of a different family. Perhaps… in some way… he was protecting her even in his madness…" Elizabeth muttered as she gripped the box and gem close to her chest.

"I see."

Together, Rei and Elizabeth gazed up at the full moon that shone down at the small village. When they left, there was no evidence left of the fight that had took place, save for a small music box with a beautiful red gem sitting inside of it left in front of one of the houses.

* * *

 **Omake: True Nature**

Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian noblewoman that lived in the late 16th to early 17th century was one of the most notorious female serial killers in history; claiming hundreds upon hundreds of virgin girls' lives in her allusive quest for eternal youth.

Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler, a Romanian king known for his cruelty in torturing his enemies by impaling them as it gave them a slow, and painful death; was also Elizabeth Bathory's great-uncle.

And I… am a descendant from this bloodline, ironically born into a family of vampires and named Elizabeth as if to cruelly seal my fate to be a literal bloodthirsty monster.

That is who I am… no, who I was. After nearly one century of living up to my name and ancestry by committing atrocious acts to innocents and learning to manipulate blood to kill my victims, I decided to reject who I had become. I was disgusted with myself. I didn't choose to be heartless being that killed others simply for pleasure, but my bloodlust made it so I enjoyed every second I spent torturing my victims.

I ran away from myself, from my home, and from my fate. I did everything I could in order to change myself. My name, my appearance, my voice, and even the way I acted. I began doing my best to help other people while living a quiet life, but… I couldn't quell my bloodlust. It was too far ingrained into me. I tried… I tried my very best to suppress it, and yet it wasn't enough. There were times where it became too strong to the point where I had to find some kind of release. Of course, I was smart about it. I kept up my outward appearances of being an upstanding woman while secretly satiating my bloodlust by butchering wildlife. This was how I lived for another century.

Then… halfway through my third century in this world, I met that woman. At a first glance, she managed to see through my façade. She knew what kind of monster I was, but I also saw her for what she was. She also put up a mask in kindness when in front of others, but there was one thing inherently different about the two of us. She was fully aware of her nature as a monster and embraced it. Her outside appearances were simply a tool for her to use. That was what first drew me to her. I wanted to know how she did it. I wanted to know how she was so easily able to accept herself when she was simply a mortal woman while I spent two and a half centuries trying to find myself! I was frustrated, angry, but most of all, I was infatuated with her. For once in my life, I had found myself somebody who was even more of a monster than I was.

This woman… Rei, she calls herself, has become my object of admiration not because of her beauty or her wits, but because of the unspoken secret we share. As far as I am aware, she and I are the only ones aware of each other's true natures. Mine as a bloodthirsty beast, hers as a… shall we say, monster of rationality.

Rei's true nature… It gives me shivers just thinking about it. It gives me such a thrill whenever I see her act kind because I know the true reason she does so. The others are so naïve not to see through her act, but that just makes everything even more exciting.

However, I suppose I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the company of the others. After all, they're all monsters. Just like me.

* * *

 **-Database-**

 **Name:** Rei Lumin  
 **Age:** 23  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Absolute Predator – A Sacred Gear that allows the user to control an extension of themselves in order to devour and assimilate any existence in the universe.

-Further information is restricted to authorized personnel

 **Name:** Karma  
 **Age:** Approximately 25  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Salamander morph – Possessing the blood of a salamander, a lizard with powerful flame abilities that resides in volcanoes, it strengthens Karma's resilience to heat while also allowing her to breathe fire. Her scales are highly resistant to damage and her muscles are stronger than ordinary humans.

 **Name:** Yukiko Himeragi  
 **Age:** 17  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Yuki-onna – Much like other Yuki-onna, she possesses the ability to control and form ice at will. However, she has the strongest powers of a Yuki-onna her age ever recorded in history, making it somewhat hard to control for her.

 **Name:** Hasu Kirsche  
 **Age;** 19  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** No Longer Human – Due to extensive body modifications and necromancy, Hasu has been transformed into a psuedo-immortal. He body is extremely resistant to all forms of damage and she will not die even if her heart is pierced or her head is severed making her nearly invincible.

 **Name:** Elizabeth Bathory  
 **Age:** 256  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Bloody Vampire – Being a full-fledged vampire gives Elizabeth all the abilities and demerits other vampires have with a focus on familiars, but being a direct descendant of Elizabeth Bathory also gives her the ability to control blood.


	6. SS 6 (Eidolon Side)

**AN:** Rushed upload of a new chapter so this isn't as long, but I just wanted to finish off the Eidolon stories as soon as possible so I can start cranking out a few different other stories. Anyways, hope you enjoy this finale to Eidolon's adventures as I continue to die in University.

* * *

 **SS 6 (Eidolon Side): Legendary Strategist**

The sun was setting across a certain prestigious high school as five figures, unknown to all of the extremely powerful supernatural beings holding a peace conference inside the school, stood waiting silently in the waning light.

"Hey, boss… You sure there's gonna be a terrorist attack here? Would these chaos guys really be ballsy enough to attack when the three faction's top dogs are here?" Karma asked as she stood leaning against the wall with her trusty curved sword propped up beside her.

"Don't worry, Karma. They'll be here for sure," Rei replied calmly and confidently.

"Hmph," Elizabeth scoffed. "When has Onee-sama ever been wrong? I'm sure the Khaos Brigade will be here soon."

Just as those words left the Vampire's mouth, a strange energy pulsed over the entire area.

"There is our queue," Rei said while drawing her rapier.

The air above the five girls rippled before hundreds of cloaked figures appeared from out of thin air.

"Does everyone remember the plan?" Rei asked.

""Yes!""

Altogether, the four girls leapt into action while Rei began making her way into the school through the back entrance. The sounds of a fierce battle began raging outside as the silver-haired woman walked through the empty hallways to her destination. She had about five minutes to complete her part of the plan and leave with the others before the faction leaders recover from the Dhampire's time stopping ability.

Stopping the middle of a seemingly random hallway, Rei only had to wait for a brief moment before more a mist appeared, showing a group of silhouetted people.

When the mist dispersed, it revealed the five people that were standing within it. The first to appear was a handsome black-haired man wearing a black gakuran under ancient Chinese armour. Next to him was a black-haired man wearing a pair of square-rimmed glasses and a mage's robe. On either side of them stood a pair of men who could only be described as twins. Both had blond hair and almost identical facial structures and it would be almost impossible to tell them apart if it weren't for the fact one of them wore a pair of round-rimmed glasses. Finally, behind them all stood a towering man with the body of a bodybuilder

"Welcome, Cao Cao. It seems my predictions were correct in that you would appear here," Rei greeted with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

The black-haired man wearing the Chinese armour smiled back.

"And it seems I was right in assuming you would be here to meet me, Zhuge Liang," the man, Cao Cao, said. "Oh, my apologies. You aren't using that name right now, correct? It's Rei now, isn't it?"

"Hmph. Please, Cao Cao. It does not matter to me what you call me. That identity is simply another tool for me to use."

Unlike before, Rei's personality had done a complete one-eighty. Gone was the kind, likeable persona. Instead what replaced it was anything but. Her eyes had turned cold, hard, and piercing like steel daggers. The amicable and almost ever present smile was erased without a trace and in its place was a calculating expression that masked her emotions expertly.

This was the woman known to mostly all as Rei Lumin's true personality. No. To call it a personality was too much of a stretch. Devoid of emotions and empathy, she can easily be called a monster of rationality. Possessing a genius mind unrivalled by any other, she saw the world and others as objects to be used. Her reasoning even lead herself to believe that even she herself is a tool to be used. Can an existence like this even be classified as a human being?

This is the monster known as Zhuge Liang, a descendant and inheritor of the original Zhuge Liang that lived during the Romance of the Three Kingdoms period.

"Well, Ms. Strategist? Have you finally decided to join me?" Cao Cao asked.

"If my ancestor chose not to assist you, then you should know full well what my decision is, Cao Cao. I have already found the one that will lead us to the new generation and I fully intend to assist her in achieving that end goal," Zhuge Liang replied without batting an eye.

"I see. It is disappointing to know that you still refuse to join me. Jekyll, Hyde."

The twins stood to attention at Cao Cao's command.

"Y-Yes!"

"Roger, boss!"

Hyde, the twin without glasses, leapt forward while simultaneously drawing a pair of daggers as Jekyll began casting a spell to reinforce his brother.

Zhuge Liang simply stood and waited until the daggers sank into her body, only for the blades to phase right through her, much to the others' surprise.

Suddenly, a black, gooey, snake-like monster shot through the air and punched a hole through Hyde's chest, splattering the hallway with blood and guts.

"Hyde!" Jekyll yelled as the body of his twin brother fell limply to the floor before another snake speared him through the stomach.

The mirage of Zhuge Liang disappeared into the air and the real one slowly materialized at the side with multiple replicas of the snake monsters sprouting from her back.

"Your choice in allies has certainly fallen, Cao Cao. Is this what the Hero Faction has come to?"

Cao Cao just sighed and shook his head.

"I should have known better. You prepared yourself for me to bring new opponents you haven't seen before. It's the Dream World Sacred Gear, isn't it?" He said, motioning to the gold orb in Zhuge Liang's hand.

After Elizabeth killed the Executioner, Zhuge Liang extracted the Sacred Gear from his body and Azazel weaponized it. Unfortunately, the effect of it was diminished greatly, but it still served its purpose to create illusions fairly well.

"Georg, Heracles, let's go."

At Cao Cao's command, the hulking man and the spectacled man launched into action. Georg began enveloping the area in a heavy mist as Heracles barrelled straight towards Zhuge Liang. Meanwhile, Cao Cao used Georg's Sacred Gear to disappear from sight. Just as Heracle's fist was about to make contact with Zhuge Liang, he suddenly vanished into the mist and a spear came shooting up from the floor behind the strategist.

Remaining as calm as she was before, Zhuge Liang's arm flashed out as she struck three times in three different areas in the mist seemingly at the same time. Three splashes of blood were briefly added into the mist before they disappeared as well, leaving Zhuge Liang standing, once again, in the middle of the vision obscuring substance.

"Heh. I see you are as terrifying as ever…" Cao Cao said, his voice seemingly coming from all directions at the same time. "It seems it would be wise for us to retreat here, for now."

As he said that, the mist slowly started to dissipate until it was completely gone along with the three men and two corpses

Taking a deep breath, Zhuge Liang sheathed her rapier and took out her phone.

"Exactly five minutes…" She muttered as she checked the time before dialling a number. "Elizabeth, are you finished on your end?"

" _Of course, Onee-sama! We just finished taking care of the vanguard!"_ The Vampire replied cheerfully over the speaker.

"Good. I'm done on my end as well. We're leaving the rest of the terrorists to Azazel and the others.

" _Just as planned, right? Then we're going on ahead and retreating back to headquarters."_

There was the tell-tale click of the line being cut off as Zhuge Liang pocketed the phone and began walking down the hallway, the mass of black snakes retreating back into her body. At a glance, one wouldn't have assumed anything had happened to this woman in the past few minutes. Her suit was still in pristine condition with not even a single wrinkle on it, and her hair was still perfectly beautiful with not even a single strand of hair astray.

This unassuming woman, although she may not be the most powerful, vastly overshadows others with her prowess at strategy and can easily be considered the most powerful human. She manipulates the strings from the shadows, causing events to trigger through subtle means while silently protecting the ones she believes will better the world. This monster of rationality, although she holds no human emotions, continues to support the continued existence of the world while remaining hidden from all.

* * *

 **Omake: Unparalleled Mind**

The pen is mightier than the sword. For most, these words mean nothing as more often than not, strength wins over intelligence in this world. For me, though, these words are my very life. Most of my life had been dedicated to studying the texts and words of my ancestor, Zhuge Liang. It wasn't because of simple interest, though. No. There was some unknown force, driving me to do so, telling me to achieve the same level of intellect the ancient strategist had. Before long, I had managed to reach my goal, but doing so also drew the attention of another soul similar to mine.

"Cao Cao…" I greeted as the man appeared in front of me from a pocket of mist.

The man's eyes widened in surprise for a brief moment before he smiled and nodded.

"Yes. That's right. It seems you already know of me. That makes thing easier," he said before holding out his hand. "Join me, Zhuge Liang. Join my Hero Faction. With your power, I'm sure we could bring out the true potential we humans possess."

Ignoring the man's outstretched hand; I continued making my way home while carrying my groceries.

"Uh? H-Hey! Don't ignore me!"

He was clearly unused to this sort of reaction, but if I give him the time of day, he will simply continue to bother me.

Once again, Cao Cao stepped out of a pocket of mist in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.

"Perhaps you didn't quite understand me before. I am gathering people like you and me in order to prove that humans can be just as powerful as any supernatural being. If you join us, we can bolster our ranks even further with your mental prowess."

I blinked once before stepping to the side and slipping around him. He is certainly as persistent as his ancestor. Unfortunately for him, his so-called Hero Faction isn't what I'm searching for.

For a third time, the man appeared in front of me, but this time he was holding a spear. The True Longinus, is it?

"Let us duel, then. If I win, you will have to join us," he declared while tapping the butt of the spear on the ground. "If you win, then I will stop asking you."

Raising my hand, I pointed a single finger up into the sky, prompting Cao Cao to look up. Meanwhile, I took the time while he was distracted to slip around him again and continue walking back to my apartment.

The action left him stunned long enough for me to make it past the barrier I erected around my apartment complex in preparation for situations like this.

For the next week or so, Cao Cao persisted and kept coming back in order to try to convince me to join his team. However, I was always one step ahead of him and managed to outwit him at every turn. I could tell he was getting desperate by the end of the week when he was resorting to tactics like seduction, hostage taking, and kidnapping.

As the dawn of the new week arrived, I decided to confront Cao Cao when he came to try to convince me.

"I have to commend you for your endurance, Cao Cao. You either regard me quite highly, or you are a complete fool," I said as he materialized out of the mist.

"Oh? Considering how you finally decided to speak to me, I must not be as much of a fool as you think, then."

"Yes, maybe so. Then again, I am growing quite tired of your advances."

Cao Cao smirked as the True Longinus materialized in his hand.

"If that is the case, then my offer from before still stands."

"Very well. I shall take you up on that offer, then."

Before Cao Cao could react, I stepped forward, grabbed him by the chin, and forced my lips onto his.

"Mmfrgh!"

The shock of the action caused his lips to part, and that was all the opening I needed. His eyes widened and locked with mine as he felt my tongue enter his mouth. He didn't last long under my constant assault and the foreign sensations.

I let the man go and he dropped to his knees, breathing heavily as a blush tinged his cheeks.

"It appears to be my win, Cao Cao. I hope you will keep up your end of the bargain."

Leaving him to recover on the ground, I continued lugging my groceries back home. Now that I have taken care of that distraction, it seems the time has come for me to make my move. The Red Dragon has been found, and Azazel has taken an interest in her. Infiltrating the Grigori should be my first order of business, then.

* * *

 **-Database-**

 **Name:** Rei Lumin (Alias), Zhuge Liang (True Name)  
 **Age:** 23  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Absolute Predator – A Sacred Gear that allows the user to control an extension of themselves in order to devour and assimilate any existence in the universe.

-Further information is restricted to authorized personnel

Beyond Rei's Sacred Gear, she also possesses an inhuman ability to plan and strategize, so much so that it borders on precognition. Her plans have never failed even once.

 **Name:** Karma  
 **Age:** Approximately 25  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Salamander morph – Possessing the blood of a salamander, a lizard with powerful flame abilities that resides in volcanoes, it strengthens Karma's resilience to heat while also allowing her to breathe fire. Her scales are highly resistant to damage and her muscles are stronger than ordinary humans.

 **Name:** Yukiko Himeragi  
 **Age:** 17  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Yuki-onna – Much like other Yuki-onna, she possesses the ability to control and form ice at will. However, she has the strongest powers of a Yuki-onna her age ever recorded in history, making it somewhat hard to control for her.

 **Name:** Hasu Kirsche  
 **Age;** 19  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** No Longer Human – Due to extensive body modifications and necromancy, Hasu has been transformed into a psuedo-immortal. He body is extremely resistant to all forms of damage and she will not die even if her heart is pierced or her head is severed making her nearly invincible.

 **Name:** Elizabeth Bathory  
 **Age:** 256  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Ability:** Bloody Vampire – Being a full-fledged vampire gives Elizabeth all the abilities and demerits other vampires have with a focus on familiars, but being a direct descendant of Elizabeth Bathory also gives her the ability to control blood.


End file.
